Whether an apology was in order could wait.
Who on earth gifted a little bird something that wasn’t food, drink, or a toy—but a writing brush instead?!
Staring at the familiar portable brush before him, Shen Jiujiu’s beak fell open in helpless dismay before snapping shut again in speechless bafflement.
Seeing Shen Jiujiu’s unwavering gaze fixed on the miniature brush in his hand, Pei Du slowed his movements. He pinched the brush between his fingers and casually wrote a few characters on the paper.
“It’s a little novelty that made its way from Jiangnan to the Capital a few years back. It writes decently enough, but what sets it apart is how exquisitely compact and convenient it is.”
“Perfect for you.”
Shen Jiujiu stayed silent, spreading his wings as he watched Pei Du tie the miniature brush to one of them. While Pei Du lowered his gaze and meticulously adjusted the fit, those little bird eyes locked onto him for a long moment.
Only after Pei Du had secured the Little Bird Brush and carefully double-checked that it wasn’t chafing the little bird’s wing did Shen Jiujiu finally look away.
Ah, whatever.
His Benefactor had never raised a bird before—he had no experience. Forgiven.
And truth be told, Shen Jiujiu actually rather liked this Little Bird Brush.
Shen Xinian had owned one before, handmade by his mother Xie Jingtang. And now Shen Jiujiu had one too, handmade by Pei Du.
It was a strangely wonderful feeling.
Like reclaiming something lost, or doubling what he’d once had. It filled him with a bubbly warmth, delight, and excitement.
So Shen Jiujiu nuzzled Pei Du’s finger lightly with his beak. Then he stepped forward on his little bird claws, wings outstretched, and ambled slowly toward the rice paper—ready to resume his policy essay.
But perhaps because he was taking his time to seem more dignified, the Little Bird Dumpling unwittingly began to sway his body as he went. Under Pei Du’s watchful eye, his long tail feathers traced out a sinuously alluring curve.
Pei Du: “…”
He couldn’t very well demand that a little bird move with elegance.
Not even as the Court Prime Minister and a Cabinet Minister—even after his earlier mischievous teasing of the bird—could he dictate a little bird’s gait.
That afternoon, Shen Jiujiu wrote policy essays without cease. Servants came and went through Pei Du’s study, murmuring quietly or falling silent by turns, but nothing broke the little bird’s focus.
The only interruption came midway, when Pei Du stepped out for a meal. Shen Jiujiu seized the chance to lead the servant boy to the Rear Garden, where he scattered another helping of millet. As he ate, he invited his fellow little birds—who had shown up for the free feast—to rendezvous in the Rear Garden tomorrow.
By the time Pei Du returned from dinner and stepped back into the study, Shen Jiujiu was already perched beside the inkstone, pointedly signaling for his Benefactor to equip him with the brush.
Even Pei Du found himself a touch discomfited by the Little Bird Dumpling’s eager diligence. “You can take it slow,” he advised Shen Jiujiu. “Prolonged use will tire your wings.”
Shen Jiujiu ignored him, pointedly turning his little bird rear end in Pei Du’s direction.
Before diving back into the policy essay proper, Shen Jiujiu practiced his handwriting on the documents strewn across Pei Du’s desk. Once satisfied with the neatness of his script, he recopied the short section he’d drafted earlier from scratch—then pressed onward.
The deep-seated stubbornness woven into the fabric of his soul shone through unmistakably.
~~~
Dusk deepened, but Shen Jiujiu remained lost in his role as the study’s policy-essay bird. He hadn’t followed Pei Du back to the Inner Courtyard.
Pei Du paused in thought, then decided against having the maids light the Calming Incense—for now.
His condition had improved markedly of late. Perhaps he could test himself: no incense, and no proximity to the little bird.
The maids had already drawn a bath of steaming water. Pei Du shed his robes and sank into the tub, eyes closed as he let the hazy heat ease his mind and body.
…Something felt off.
Pei Du’s brow furrowed. He opened his eyes, his keen gaze sweeping the room. Nothing seemed amiss.
A beat later, he snapped his head upward.
There, nestled atop the redwood screen—at some unknown point—a gray-white ball of fluff stared down at him in wide-eyed, eager curiosity.
Pei Du froze. Standing abruptly seemed impossible; so did simply continuing his bath. He lowered his gaze, steadied his breath, and asked Shen Jiujiu calmly, “When did you get here?”
Shen Jiujiu, caught red-handed, hugged the screen’s edge with his wings—right in plain view of Pei Du. His little claws gripped the wood for purchase, and with a slick whoosh, he slid straight down.
Excellent.
What goes up must come down the same way.
The screen wasn’t sanded as glassy-smooth as a desk; its facets and edges offered plenty of grip for a determined little bird.
Clearly, flightless or not, Shen Jiujiu’s wings and claws put any ordinary bird to shame in versatility.
“Chirp, chirp-chirp~”
Shen Jiujiu trilled a merry string of notes. Whether it truly answered Pei Du’s question was anyone’s guess—Pei Du certainly couldn’t make it out.
But the precise answer hardly mattered now. What did was the little bird’s plain reluctance to leave.
Shen Jiujiu circled the bath chamber several times before zeroing in on the gourd ladle kept handy for topping off the water.
“Chirp.”
Pei Du fell silent for a moment, then tried to dissuade him. “If you’re afraid of water, best not to play.”
Shen Jiujiu did fear water—a little.
He’d shrunk from even the copper basin before. This tub could swallow two Pei Dus whole.
In his first life, he’d drowned. After transmigrating, Pei Du’s rescue had spared him a second drenching death.
But this little bird trusted his Benefactor completely!
“Chirp-chirp-chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp~ Chirp-chirp~~”
Shen Jiujiu hopped insistently along the tub’s rim, determination unwavering.
Luckily, Pei Du bathed without attendants; the ladle sat within easy reach. Faced with such resolve, he extended his arm, scooped it from the reserve bucket, and offered it forth.
Shen Jiujiu executed a perfect standing long jump inside. He settled obediently into the gourd-ladle boat, which Pei Du maneuvered with steady grace to bob gently atop the bathwater.
The long-tailed little bird paced curiously to and fro in his vessel, draping himself over the rim to peer at the rippling surface. Now and then, he dipped a wingtip to prod the water.
After splashing about awhile, Shen Jiujiu craned to glance at Pei Du.
Two lifetimes as a human, and Shen Xinian had always been a scrawny boy.
Boys envied fellows with muscle carved in elegant lines.
His Benefactor didn’t practice martial arts, so he wouldn’t match Sui Ziming’s chiseled perfection. Still, those arm muscles suggested something respectable.
Just a peek.
If he could sneak a feel or two in the bargain—
Eh?
Shen Jiujiu twisted with all his might, but a damp finger pressed firmly against the back of his head, thwarting the turn.
“Chirp!”
Shen Jiujiu chirped in protest.
Both men here—what’s a glance?
Stingy!
Pei Du not only blocked the little bird’s swivel but, before rising from the tub, snatched his outer robe from the nearby rack and draped it over the ladle.
The tub’s rim held one side taut; the other trailed into the water. Together, they pinned Shen Jiujiu’s ladle-boat snug and secure in a tidy triangular enclosure.
By the time Shen Jiujiu finally managed to poke his head out from inside Pei Du’s outer robe, Pei Du was already standing beside the bathtub. He had dried off his body and changed into fresh inner garments.
Pei Du rang the bell, and moments later, the servants entered to tidy up.
With his belly and claws still damp, Shen Jiujiu was carried by Pei Du to a nearby table and rubbed dry with a soft cloth.
Shen Jiujiu cooperated fully, lifting his wings and spinning in circles on the table to follow Pei Du’s motions.
Bird down was naturally waterproof to begin with, and since Shen Jiujiu hadn’t been playing for long, a quick wipe was all it took to dry him off.
Now clean and fluffy, Shen Jiujiu made no move to hop down to the floor. Instead, he parkoured across the surfaces of the room’s furnishings and leaped onto the bed. With his wings, he patted the pillow invitingly, urging Pei Du to come cuddle up and sleep.
The Little Bird Dumpling even went so far as to press a cozy little nest into the center of the pillow for him.
Yet the more Shen Jiujiu carried on like this, the more rooted to the spot Lord Pei felt. He stood there, hesitating, at a loss for words.
Seeing that Pei Du still didn’t get it, Shen Jiujiu struck several different poses and chirped insistently. Worried that Pei Du might not understand, he even hooked a wingtip gently toward him.
Gazing at the little bird on the bed, a certain label floated unbidden into Pei Du’s mind.
Little Bird Seductress.
Pei Du: “…”
Lord Pei raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
What on earth was this?
~~~
The next day, Sui Ziming—who had gotten the message—arrived at Pei Mansion bright and early.
He was ready to freeload breakfast and lunch.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around and spotted Pei Du entering the front courtyard. The man looked utterly worn out, with Shen Jiujiu perched on his shoulder.
“What’s going on?” Sui Ziming blurted out. Then a thought struck him, and his expression shifted dramatically. “Your head’s acting up again?!”
Didn’t he have the Calming Incense?
It had been ages since his last migraine!
“No, I just didn’t sleep well,” Pei Du said. He passed the excited Shen Jiujiu over to Sui Ziming and waved him off. “Take him out to play today. Just bring him back before dinner.”
Pei Du hadn’t suffered any nightmares or headaches. He’d simply spent the entire night fending off Shen Jiujiu’s attempts to burrow inside his inner garments—waging a grueling Little Bird defense war from dusk till dawn.
He truly, simply hadn’t slept a wink.
The little bird, on the other hand, had slumbered like a log. His intermittent sleep pattern meant that every time he woke in the middle of the night, he made a beeline for Pei Du’s embrace.
Pei Du acted as if he hadn’t laid down the law just a couple of days ago about not interfering with Sui Ziming taking Shen Jiujiu out. He solemnly deposited the Little Bird Dumpling into Ziming’s hands.
Ziming had adored birds since he was a boy, and he brimmed with youthful vigor.
It was best to let the young man loose with his lively feathered friend. Pei Du needed a break.
If he was lucky, he might even catch a nap.
