The Fellow Traveller

Wei Li Na absently rubbed that part of her head Li TengFei kept touching. It indeed had a protruding bump. She pressed on it but it did not hurt.

"Dave, do I have memory loss?"

"Regarding your mental health, Young Mistress, you are perfectly fine." The voice in her head was very reassuring. How tragic if she really had brain damage!

"Then what is this bump on my head?"

"According to Young Mistress medical records, that bump is the natural shape of your skull. Possibly formed in infancy, the bone just grew thicker in that area."

"..." For some reason, Wei Li Na never knew this. Was she really so inattentive to her own physical appearance this oddly shaped skull has missed her notice until now?

Wei Li Na sighed. She got off the bed and put on her own boots. Under the bed there was a large chest. She pulled it out and opened it. Inside was the clothing and belongings of Li TengFei. She flipped through his things: water flask, knives, daggers, books and documents, his clothes, and underneath it all, a collection of ancient women's underwear?

The delicate pieces were embroidered in bright colors, and looked like halter tops. They smelled clean, so Wei Li Na took off Wang Lei's undershirt and wore a halter top. She also found a black cloth cap, which she tied around her bald head. She then wrapped herself in Wei Yu's borrowed jacket, securing the buttons neatly at the collar.

Without bothering to tidy the mess she made, Wei Li Na got up, ready to leave through the window. Then she remembered: That bastard took Star Born with him! Was there still a chance to take back her weapon? Probably not, that fellow was bigger and stronger than she was.

Oh well, it was just a weapon. Wei Li Na returned to the open chest, picked a few decent looking sheathed knives which she secured to her waist, under the jacket. She opened her Divine Third Eye to quickly scan her surroundings, everything was clear. Without thinking twice, she jumped out the window.

"Where are you going?"

Wei Li Na's spine straightened like she was hit by lightning. Wasn't the area clear? Her Divine Third Eye has never let her down!

Li TengFei lazyly strolled towards her, following behind was a little maid carrying a large food box, "Are you leaving before dinner? You'll regret it. The General's Residence gets the best dishes!"

That's right! She hasn't eaten anything since this morning. Even then, breakfast consisted of hot water and a few eggs. Wei Li Na uncontrollably salivated, took a huge gulp and obediently followed Li TengFei, the maid and the food box.

They returned to the room, the maid set the table. Li TengFei eyed the open chest by the bed, his belongings ransacked, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he was courteous and gestured Wei Li Na to sit at the table.

The scent of warm, fragrant rice rose to her nose. When was the last time she ate rice! There were two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. On the side was a plate of grapes and pears for dessert. She quickly dug in. The meat dishes were strangely cooked in buttermilk, too rich for her palette. So she picked at the vegetables instead.

Li TengFei eyed the maid who was still in the room, tidying the chest that Wei Li Na had tossed. The maid picked up the soiled men's undershirt on the floor, saying she'll wash it and return it the next day. Li TengFei faintly smiled and complemented her, "Clever girl!" The maid blushed and quickly left.

He then turned his head to watch Wei Li Na eating like a lost child in the woods. Li TengFei scowled, "What happened to your manners?"

Wei Li Na paused. She had lived alone for ten years, her habits have changed over the course of this long solitary period. She always ate alone till now, usually eating on the floor or in bed, with a screen in front of her.

From the far reaches of her brain, Wei Li Na pulled out her long lost etiquette training, drilled into her by her parents and the mess hall monitors of her military upbringing. She was like a gorilla being coaxed to eat at a classy restaurant. Her actions clumsy as she gripped the chopsticks to daintily pick at the sliced radish. For her, it was still a long road to the civilized world.

Li TengFei let out a soft chuckle. At least she was trying. He knew more than most people how difficult it was to reassimilate.

"Do you remember me now?"

Wei Li Na looked up, shook her head and resumed her chopstick struggle.

"I am Li TengFei. Your eldest brother, Wei Long and I, graduated in the same class."

Wei Li Na lifted her head and stared blankly at Li TengFei. His face, she really could not remember. What was the meaning of this? The implications of this new information was turning the gears in her head, but she outwardly remained cautious, "Did you time travel as well?"

"Yes. I've been here several years already. My ship had encountered a wormhole in the Winter Quadrant. We kept our distance from it, but was unexpectedly led off course by a mysterious gravitational pull. The ship was destroyed and disintegrated in the wormhole, but I miraculously survived and found myself here. And you?"

"Same. Wormhole." Wei Li Na's expression was still blank, not giving anything away. But she was already very suspicious. How coincidental that in the whole wide universe they had come through the same wormhole in the Winter Quadrant.

What mysterious gravitational pull? She lurked around that same wormhole for a year looking for a way to enter with her life intact, there was no such thing as a rogue gravitational pull. Like her, he deliberately went through the wormhole to time travel! For what reasons, does it have any connection to her?

"I cannot be sure, but I think I am the sole survivor. There were 30 souls on that ship, including four officers," Li TengFei was closely watching Wei Li Na's reaction, gauging her emotional state. "For the first year, when I arrived here, I was severely injured and had lost my memories. If you have amnesia, it would not be very surprising."

"Condolences to your fallen comrades," Wei Li Na responded sincerely.

"Do you not really remember me?!" Li TengFei had an ugly expression, as if forgetting his face was the greatest insult of his life. "I was your eldest brother, Wei Long's fraternity brother. When we graduated, he got first honours but I was right behind him with second place."

"En. Nobody remembers second placers."

"..." What a jab to his stomach, but Li TengFei quickly recovered. "At your eldest brother's 20th birthday celebration, do you remember that?"

"Of course! That was a big day." It was a grand celebration for the first son of the Wei family. Her parents were over the moon with happiness, they actually gave her a present as well.

"I was there during that birthday party. I hosted the program. Do you not remember?"

There was a dim flicker in Wei Li Na's eyes. She only really remembered her present that day, and one other incident, "I remember there was a fellow who was flirting with a few girls. They pushed him down, he fell into a pond."

"Yes! That was me," Li TengFei was greatly relieved.

"So you're that Li! Teng! Fei!" There was great meaning to her tone. That Li TengFei, that name had many lecherous and tragic stories associated with it. Back at the military academy, he was a posturing wannabe womanizer. Recalling the collection of women's underwear in his chest, he most likely grew up to be an actual, competent womanizer.

"As long as you remember me. That is the most important point. I can never forget you!"

Wei Li Na scoffed a shallow laugh. How is that? She was always quiet, lingering in the background. Shy with no achievements to make her stick out. Unlike her older brothers, she was not a so-called promising talent. By coincidence, Li TengFei only remembered her because she was her two brother's little sister.

At this time, the doctor arrived. He felt Wei Li Na's pulse, took a close look at her complexion and minutely frowned. He even had a thorough feel of her skull, as Li TengFei insisted. The doctor left her with a jar of ointment for her skin, and gave her a clean bill of health. Nothing broken, no internal bleeding, no brain damage.

How lucky indeed! Li TengFei thought to himself, for this little girl to survive unscathed through a wormhole. Or did she survive through some hidden ability, a special technology he hasn't heard of yet. A whole ship filled with 30 scientists, the best of the best, a group that had dedicated a lifetime to studying the wormhole did not survive. Yet this unremarkable soldier, with unremarkable brain power, has come through with only the tips of her hair burned. How is that possible?

Wei Li Na opened the jar of ointment and took a sniff. She made a face, it was very strong smelling mutton tallow mixed in with a few herbs to mask the undeniable scent of mutton. Wei Li Na was starting to doubt how reliable the ancient doctors were, she wanted to verify with Dave.

Seeing her twisted face, Li TengFei laughed out loud. "I have some antiseptic. If you have any broken skin, it should be very useful."

She did have open wounds! Many of her burn blisters have burst open. In the first few days she still had medicine to provide first aid for herself. But the medicine she had was already used up. In addition, the worst blisters were on her back where she couldn't see or reach.

Without a second thought, Wei Li Na took off her jacket offering her bare back to Li TengFei. The blisters had popped and left raw skin that was inflamed. There were signs of infection in some places.

"How could you let it get this bad." Without flinching Li TengFei applied ointment to her back with a short flat brush. The ointment had a light pungent smell.

"What medicine is that?"

"Sulfur and mineral clay. You'll have to sleep on your stomach tonight. Get some early rest. Tomorrow, I have a lot to teach you about the social rules of this world. Otherwise, you'll stick out like a red poppy, asking to get knocked down."

Li TengFei had her sleep in an outer room, adjoining his own room. The bed was soft and warm with furs. There was even a sheer canopy around the small bed, to keep away mosquitoes. Wei Li Na undressed, wearing only a pair of light long pants borrowed from Li TengFei. She slept on her stomach in the first proper bed she had laid on in a long time.