SA | Chapter 18

Rescuing the Fawn

The whole day was a monotonous trek.

The initial excitement had faded, and hiking gradually turned into a torturous ordeal. The backpack straps left red marks on Gu Deng’s shoulders, and his calves became stiff from the constant ups and downs.

In some places where skiing wasn’t possible, they alternated between wearing skis and walking. The frequent changes took a toll on Gu Deng’s body, making his mood as gloomy as the weather.

As his hiking boots repeatedly sank into the muddy snow, Gu Deng began to miss everything about the civilized world.

He longed for delicious food, a comfortable living environment, convenient transportation, a few friends, and even the online junk information he once scoffed at. These were things he had been eager to escape from, yet they were what granted him freedom and convenience.

During the journey, Zhang Li suggested taking breaks several times, but Gu Deng, not wanting to hold anyone back, shook his head and refused.

It wasn’t until ten hours after they set off that Zhang Li announced they would camp and rest.

Gu Deng couldn’t hold on any longer and plopped down onto the wet snow. Looking at the desolate snowy landscape around him, he suddenly felt unsure of what he was doing.

Why was he here? Why was he doing something so seemingly pointless? What was the necessity of this hike?

Next to him, Zhang Li began hammering stakes into the snow. Gu Deng wanted to help, but when he tried to stand, his legs gave out, and he ended up kneeling in the snow.

Zhang Li dropped what he was doing and came over to help him up, asking what was wrong.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Gu Deng turned his face away and said, “It’s nothing, I’m just a bit tired.”

Zhang Li set up a chair for him to rest.

Gu Deng couldn’t sit still and wanted to help with cooking.

“Listen, don’t move,” Zhang Li gave him a look with a slight sense of authority, leaving Gu Deng momentarily stunned.

Zhang Li rarely used this tone with Gu Deng. Despite his fierce appearance, Zhang Li was gentle and considerate by nature, rarely showing a dominant side.

Gu Deng was used to Zhang Li’s kind demeanor, and being suddenly scolded made him feel a bit wronged.

He glared at Zhang Li, feeling a bit aggrieved, “Why are you being so fierce?”

Zhang Li was taken aback, realizing his expression, and immediately changed his tone, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be harsh.”

“Oh,” Gu Deng responded dryly, feeling a bit deflated.

He knew Zhang Li was worried about him and was only being stern because he didn’t want anything to happen to him.

Rather than being upset with Zhang Li for scolding him, Gu Deng was more frustrated with his own uselessness.

He was supposed to accompany Zhang Li, but it was Zhang Li who bought the equipment, planned the route, and did all the work along the way.

Gu Deng felt like nothing more than a burden.

Zhang Li had already set up the tent and boiled a pot of hot water.

Gu Deng sat in the chair, watching him busy with everything, feeling a bit troubled but unable to pinpoint why.

Dinner was a bit somber.

After they finished eating, it was still light outside. After the spring equinox, the days were getting longer, and soon the entire Arctic Circle would be in perpetual daylight.

The long daylight hours disrupted Gu Deng’s circadian rhythm. His body was clearly exhausted, but his mind couldn’t relax, as if he were an animal controlled by the seasons, instinctively yearning to migrate.

But after all, he was human, and sleeping during the day wasn’t a big deal.

Gu Deng stared at the sky for a while, then bent down to take off his stiff hiking boots.

In the process, he accidentally brushed against a blister on his foot, wincing in pain.

Zhang Li, having stored the food in a sealed bag at a distance, returned to see Gu Deng’s expression.

A large blister had formed on Gu Deng’s heel, burst, scabbed over, and burst again.

Because they walked every day, it never had a chance to heal.

The half-dry wound oozed fluid, sticking his sock tightly to the wound.

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Zhang Li knelt down to help Gu Deng remove his sock, his gaze worried, without a hint of reproach.

Gu Deng pursed his lips and shook his head, “It’s nothing, I barely feel it anymore.” It had hurt initially, but he had grown accustomed to it and didn’t think much of it.

Zhang Li recalled the first time he saw Gu Deng, appearing suddenly in the snow. Even in his outdoor gear, he looked stylish and striking. He remembered Gu Deng’s charismatic presence on stage. Someone like him should be enjoying all the wealth and glory, not trapped in the wilderness with him.

Zhang Li lowered his gaze, carefully peeling off the sock and bandaging Gu Deng’s heel with a medical kit. After finishing with the left foot, Zhang Li asked if the right foot was injured. Gu Deng shook his head, so Zhang Li put a down bootie on him and boiled another pot of water.

Having finished their meal, Gu Deng didn’t understand why Zhang Li was starting a fire again until he saw him take out a waterproof bag, pour in melted water, then add the pot of hot water, and walk over with it.

Zhang Li knelt in front of him, saying, “It’s a bit makeshift, but it’ll do.” Gu Deng still didn’t get it, so Zhang Li added, “Soak your feet before you sleep.”

Gu Deng’s eyes widened, realizing Zhang Li had heated water for him to soak his feet. The waterproof bag wasn’t entirely waterproof and couldn’t stand on its own, so Zhang Li had to hold it the whole time.

Refusing would waste Zhang Li’s goodwill, so Gu Deng didn’t hesitate long before putting his feet in. The steam blurred Gu Deng’s vision, and he grabbed his pant legs, blinking hard. After a while, he thanked Zhang Li and apologized.

Zhang Li, kneeling in front of him, lowered his lashes, “No need to apologize. I should have taken better care of you.”

Gu Deng was about to argue, but Zhang Li continued, “I have more experience and should have anticipated these things.”

Gu Deng didn’t know what to say, feeling genuinely embarrassed. He watched Zhang Li’s head as he soaked his feet, warmth slowly spreading through his body.

Before sleeping, Gu Deng secretly took some medicine, hoping for good weather the next day. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. The next day, the sky was overcast, casting a bleak scene over the snow.

Gu Deng put on his shoes and went to retrieve the bear-proof food bag. The bag hung securely high up, and despite the days that had passed, no bears had visited. Gu Deng even began to doubt the necessity of these so-called bear-proof measures until he saw a dark brown figure in the distance…

Zhang Li woke up as soon as Gu Deng did. He was a light sleeper and always noticed when Gu Deng woke up early. He figured Gu Deng didn’t want to be questioned, so he pretended not to know.

Until today, when he had just crawled out of his sleeping bag, he heard hurried footsteps from afar.

“Zhang Li!” Gu Deng’s voice was more urgent than ever. He remembered Gu Deng had gone to get food. Could it be…

Zhang Li didn’t even have time to dress before rushing out of the tent, only to find Gu Deng standing breathlessly at the entrance, cradling a weak fawn in his arms.

“What should we do?” Gu Deng looked up at him, his expression anxious.

Zhang Li reached out to check the fawn’s temperature and asked, “Where did it come from?”

“I found it on the way to get food,” Gu Deng said. “I saw it was still breathing, but why isn’t it responding?”

“It’s hypothermic. It probably won’t make it through the day,” Zhang Li said, turning back to the tent to get dressed.

“What should we do?” Gu Deng asked, a bit panicked.

“What do you mean, what should we do?” Zhang Li turned back, a bit puzzled.

Gu Deng blinked in confusion at Zhang Li’s cold and matter-of-fact expression, “Aren’t you going to save it?”

“Why should we?” Zhang Li said, “Fawns abandoned by their mothers can’t survive even if we save them.”

“Abandoned by its mother?” Gu Deng was confused, “Wasn’t it because a bear hunted its mother?”

Zhang Li: “You mean the deer from yesterday?”

Gu Deng shielded the fawn with his body, nodding cautiously.

“That’s too much of a coincidence,” Zhang Li shook his head, “The incident site is dozens of kilometers away. The fawn couldn’t have traveled that far. It must have been abandoned by its mother after being born prematurely and unable to keep up with the herd.”

The harsh reality was too much. Gu Deng opened his mouth but didn’t know what expression to show.

Zhang Li noticed his reluctance and said, “If you can’t bear it, you can bury it after it dies.”

Gu Deng was incredulous, “It’s not dead yet!”

Zhang Li: “It’s only a matter of time.”

Gu Deng: “I want to save it.”

Zhang Li looked at Gu Deng for a good four or five seconds before saying, “Gu Deng, this is the law of nature. As long as you’re in the wild, you’ll encounter countless situations like this.”

“I know, but I saw it,” Gu Deng trembled, “What can I do? I saw it. How can I just let it die?”

Zhang Li didn’t say anything, and Gu Deng didn’t expect him to help. He took the fawn into the tent, intending to use a sleeping bag to preserve its body heat.

“You can’t use a sleeping bag,” Zhang Li stopped him.

Gu Deng thought Zhang Li was being picky and frowned, “I’ll use mine. It won’t dirty yours.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Zhang Li said, “Don’t let the fawn touch your personal items. Brown bears might attack you because of it.”

Gu Deng froze but quickly began to doubt Zhang Li’s expertise.

“Give me the fawn,” Zhang Li said at the door.

Gu Deng didn’t move, warily watching Zhang Li.

Zhang Li: “I’ll help you.”

Only then did Gu Deng hand over the fawn.

Zhang Li took the fawn to a sheltered spot and said, “Give me the emergency blanket.”

Gu Deng hurriedly opened the emergency blanket and handed it over.

Holding the fawn with one hand, Zhang Li spread the emergency blanket on the snow with the other and said, “Get my fleece jacket out.”

This time, Gu Deng was clever and handed over his own fleece jacket. Zhang Li glanced at him but didn’t refuse, having Gu Deng lay the jacket on the emergency blanket.

Gu Deng did as instructed. Zhang Li placed the fawn on it, wrapped it tightly in the fleece, and placed a warm water bag nearby, separated by the clothing.

Gu Deng glanced at Zhang Li and tentatively asked, “Is that it?”

Zhang Li nodded, “From here on, it’s up to the fawn.”

During breakfast, Gu Deng kept an eye on the fawn, noticing its body gradually stopped twitching, and its breathing became more pronounced, a stark contrast to its near-death state when he found it.

Gu Deng sighed in relief, feeling guilty about his earlier attitude towards Zhang Li, and thanked him repeatedly.

Zhang Li asked, “Do you want to save it?”

“Of course,” Gu Deng answered without hesitation.

“But have you thought about it? Even if you save the fawn now, without its mother’s milk, it won’t survive a day.”

Gu Deng stammered, “There must be a way.”

Zhang Li: “What way?”

Gu Deng: “I’ll take it with me. I’ll raise it!”

“And then?” Zhang Li said, “You raise it for a few days on a whim, and when you leave Alaska, you release it back into the wild? That would only delay its death.”

Gu Deng was at a loss for words. Such a young reindeer, once raised by humans, couldn’t adapt to the wild. But did that mean he had to watch the reindeer die? He remembered the fawn lying in his arms, softly nuzzling his palm with its nose.

But now, he could only watch it die in the snow, becoming food for brown bears, wolves, or some raptors. Gu Deng hugged his knees, feeling a bit sad.

Zhang Li, despite saying he wouldn’t help, mixed some milk powder with electrolyte powder and fed it to the fawn in a container. The fawn, weak as it was, raised its head and drank all the milk powder.

Seeing this, Gu Deng regained some confidence. Zhang Li suggested contacting the Wildlife Protection Center to have them take the deer.

Unexpectedly, he changed his mind, and Gu Deng asked, “Won’t it delay you?”

Zhang Li shook his head, called for rescue, and explained the situation. Turning around, he found Gu Deng staring at him intently.

Zhang Li put down the phone, “Anything else?”

Gu Deng shook his head, smiled at him, and asked, “How long until the rescue arrives?”

“They said four hours.”

Four hours seemed long, but knowing the fawn could be saved made the time feel insignificant. Gu Deng looked at the fawn, feeling a bit happy.

“Gu Deng,” Zhang Li suddenly called his name.

“What’s up?” Gu Deng looked up, an expectant expression on his face.

Zhang Li said, “You should leave with the rescue team.”

Gu Deng was taken aback, not quite understanding, “Leave where?”

“Don’t you realize?” Zhang Li looked into his weary eyes, “In your current state, you’re not fit to continue.”