Chapter 35

Sui Ziming was clearly an extremely experienced and self-aware piece of tough meat that rolled off the cutting board without a hitch.

Before Pei Du could even speak, Sui Ziming had already very shrewdly placed the little bird on his shoulder back into Pei Du’s palm. He took the initiative to assign himself half a day of confinement and a five-thousand-character self-reflection book, then slipped away like oil smeared on the soles of his feet.

Confinement didn’t prevent climbing over walls anyway, and as for the self-reflection book… Sui Ziming hadn’t touched a single word of the last one.

When debts pile up, one stops worrying.

Shen Jiujiu watched wide-eyed as his good brother, with whom he’d just been side by side causing trouble, bolted without looking back. The little bird’s eyes widened from black beans to black soybeans.

Sui! Zi! Ming!

The little bird remembers you!!

“Still looking.” Pei Du pinched the little bird’s stiff long tail feathers. “Want to go with Ziming?”

The little bird, who had just been glaring murderously in the direction Sui Ziming had left, instantly switched expressions. It snapped its wings, flopped its body over, and lay limply in Pei Du’s palm, gazing up at him pitifully with its watery little bird eyes.

No way.

The little bird wouldn’t want to go with that jerk of a human!

The little bird likes Benefactor the most~

Pei Du chuckled lowly, accepting the little bird’s clumsy flattery in full. He cupped the little bird dumpling in his palm and walked into the mansion.

Shen Jiujiu sensed Pei Du’s softened attitude and, in order to dodge punishment, let out chirps that were even more melodious and emphatic.

Jia Shisan stealthily poked his head out from the wall nearby, and Jia Wu behind him curiously followed suit.

Jia Wu hadn’t met that interesting little bird Young Master Shen that everyone was talking about yet.

“Is everything okay now?”

Jia Shisan breathed a sigh of relief. “Everything’s okay. The master has been appeased by Young Master Shen.”

Jia Wu: “…Whoa, the master is that easy to coax now?”

Sui Ziming’s voice suddenly popped up: “It’s not that easy to coax either. For Jiujiu, writing a policy essay is really long and arduous.”

Jia Wu and Jia Shisan whipped their heads around in unison to look behind them.

Sui Ziming, who had appeared to leave earlier, had somehow snuck back. He was silently perched on the wall, peeking along with them at Pei Du and Shen Jiujiu heading toward the back courtyard.

Figuring Pei Du probably wouldn’t have time to discipline him now, Sui Ziming jumped down from the wall, dusted off his hands, and headed familiarly toward the Pei Mansion’s main kitchen.

Sui Ziming muttered under his breath: “Bagging someone up is hard labor. I’m starving.”

After taking a couple of steps, Sui Ziming waved to the two dark guards on the wall: “You two want some food?”

…

The same Pei Mansion, different joys and sorrows.

Someone was gorging in the kitchen, while a bird stood at attention in the back courtyard to admit its wrongs.

Shen Jiujiu stood rigidly on the clothes rack, stretching his neck straight, desperately vying for Pei Du’s attention. He worked so hard that he gradually elongated from a round little bird ball into a little bird stick.

Normally, Shen Jiujiu would have long since flung himself onto Pei Du, humming and chirping and whining.

But today was different from usual.

First off, the little bird hadn’t resisted temptation today, went out to cause trouble, and got caught red-handed.

Secondly…

Shen Jiujiu sneaked another glance at Pei Du.

The little bird’s heart had just awakened to love.

The little bird had fallen for Benefactor.

The little bird felt guilty.

The more he thought about it, the lower his head drooped. Shen Jiujiu rubbed his little bird claws, but still couldn’t resist looking up at Pei Du again.

The little bird hadn’t seen Benefactor all day today!

After sipping warm water to moisten his throat, Pei Du turned around with his cup and was met with a Shen Jiujiu who radiated eager anticipation from head to toe.

Pei Du’s lips curved up.

He walked to the clothes rack, picked up the little bird dumpling perched there, and placed the teacup in his hand next to Shen Jiujiu.

“Didn’t you drink any water when you were out today?”

Pei Du didn’t ask, it was fine—but once he did, Shen Jiujiu suddenly felt parched.

Shen Jiujiu only held back for a moment before hopping onto Pei Du’s finger and dunking his head into the teacup, gulping and smacking noisily.

He drank so hastily that water droplets clung to his fluffy bird chest.

Luckily, bird down is waterproof; a wipe with a cloth and it was dry again.

Shen Jiujiu rubbed his cheek against Pei Du’s finger, gently pecking at the tip with his beak.

The little bird wasn’t just thirsty—he was a little hungry too.

Whether he understood or not, Pei Du didn’t suddenly produce bird snacks like before. Instead, he asked Shen Jiujiu warmly: “Xinian, do you want to go look at the moon?”

Shen Jiujiu: “Chirp?”

Looking at the moon or not was fine…

No!

The little bird suddenly stood straight, eyes lighting up brightly.

Late at night, under blooming flowers and moonlight.

What was this?!!

This was a date!!!

“Chirp—!”

Shen Jiujiu was thrilled, flapping his wings and circling Pei Du over and over, chirping and cheeping nonstop.

The little bird wants to go!

The little bird is going!

Though he’d anticipated Shen Jiujiu would like it, Pei Du hadn’t expected him to get this excited.

Amused, he gathered the little bird who was about to make him dizzy and pulled him back into his palm: “You’ve been flying outside all day—take a rest, hm?”

Shen Jiujiu was dazzled by Pei Du’s voice, melting into a soft, pliant bird nestled in his palm. His whole body felt itchy.

Especially the base of his tail.

He wanted to scratch.

Scratch hard.

In the Octagonal Pavilion earlier, Pei Du had set up a table. Dizzy and dazed, Shen Jiujiu peered out from between Pei Du’s fingers and saw the table laden with all the dried fruits and nuts the little bird loved, along with small dishes brimming with various dried meats and meat bits.

None were prepared in huge quantities, but the variety was rich. At a glance, the table was packed full—a veritable little bird feast.

Pei Du carefully bundled a little nest from a cloth on the table and placed Shen Jiujiu right in the center.

Shen Jiujiu looked up at Pei Du, who sat behind the table with his robes draped open, paused for a moment, then hopped out of the soft cloth nest and burrowed straight into Pei Du’s palm.

“Jiujiu.”

The amusement in Pei Du’s eyes deepened, and he let Shen Jiujiu cling to his hand, picking up some nuts to shell for the little bird.

Pei Du shelled one, and Shen Jiujiu leaned in to eat it.

It carried a warm, harmonious, intimate vibe.

But the little bird’s beak was small and slow to peck. Soon enough, the formerly demure and affectionate little bird became one leaning against Pei Du’s finger on the table, one in his beak, and one clutched in each claw.

Tonight’s moon wasn’t as full and plump as during Mid-Autumn, but it was very bright.

The copper bells hanging from the eaves tinkled lightly in the evening breeze.

Moonlight climbed Pei Du’s sleeve, making the embroidered dark patterns shimmer brilliantly.

Shen Jiujiu was looking at the moonlight, but more often, he was looking at Pei Du.

Pei Du didn’t notice anything new in Little Bird’s gaze. He simply lowered his eyes and carefully, tenderly tore a strip of dried meat before offering it to Little Bird’s beak.

Shen Jiujiu suddenly let out a soft chirp, his tone laced with a hint of uncertainty.

Little Bird really did something naughty today. Aren’t you mad?

Even if you’re not angry, shouldn’t you at least give him a little lesson… right?

“It’s just beating up a Shen Yuan,” Pei Du said. “Even if you two burned down the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”

As he spoke, Pei Du’s expression barely shifted. It was as if Shen Jiujiu and Sui Ziming sneaking over the wall in the dead of night, dragging someone out, and giving him a thrashing was less important than tearing meat for Little Bird.

Little Bird pondered for a moment.

With Benefactor’s style—strict on himself, lenient with others—isn’t he just raising a little troublemaking demon king?

Moreover, Pei Du’s words from earlier… Shen Jiujiu mulled them over and oddly sensed a hint of… disappointment?

Disappointment about what?

Disappointment that they hadn’t actually torched the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion!

Shen Jiujiu shook his head vigorously, flinging the horrifying thought away.

Benefactor wasn’t some lawless outlaw.

He might not be an outlaw, but Pei Du—the man who could cover the heavens with one hand—neatly tore the dried meat into strips and arranged them on a small dish. Then he began peeling grapes for Little Bird.

When Pei Du picked up a grape, Shen Jiujiu panicked. He hopped onto the tiger’s mouth of Pei Du’s hand and snatched the grape away with his claw. “Chirp chirp chirp!”

This one dirties your hands. Don’t peel it.

Little Bird doesn’t eat them.

Pei Du let Shen Jiujiu take the grape and set it back in the dish. The tip of his finger brushed lightly against Little Bird’s small wing.

Shen Jiujiu ate for a while until he felt mostly full. Wanting to stretch a bit before eating more, he grabbed a nearby handkerchief with his claws and wiped Pei Du’s fingers.

As he wiped, Shen Jiujiu suddenly pressed his beak to the pulse on Pei Du’s wrist. He paused for a long moment, his cheek against the steadily rising and falling beat, and gazed at Pei Du. “Chirp chirp?”

Are you unhappy today?

Pei Du recalled the conversation at the restaurant. The gentle curve of his lips slowly faded, though he hid the malice in his eyes from Little Bird.

“I’m not unhappy.”

Shen Jiujiu, pressed against Pei Du’s pulse, let out a skeptical hum. He fixed Pei Du with a serious, doubting bird stare.

Little Bird had seen through everything!

So Shen Jiujiu delivered a little bird headbutt to Pei Du’s finger.

Pei Du immediately backtracked. “Mm, I’m a tiny bit unhappy.”

“Today, I heard some rather unpleasant news.”

Shen Jiujiu automatically translated Pei Du’s words in his mind.

Just as Pei Du had reached level ten in Chirp Language, their days of constant companionship had given Shen Jiujiu a deep understanding of Pei Du’s speech.

Pei Du’s emotions were always restrained, his words chosen to reveal nothing. So his “rather unpleasant”… that was basically code for very angry.

Ah.

No wonder, when Little Bird had seen Benefactor at the mansion gates, he’d instinctively thought Benefactor was furious.

Turns out it wasn’t anger at the ground-walker or Little Bird. It was something else.

That made things easy.

Shen Jiujiu had never been in love, but Little Bird knew plenty of ways to coax someone.

He glanced at the moonlight outside the pavilion, thought for a moment, then steeled his resolve. Standing tall, he shook out his wings, straightened his tail feathers, and let out a resounding chirp.

Watch me!

“Hm?” Pei Du said.

Shen Jiujiu hadn’t even done anything yet, and Pei Du was already smiling again.

Pei Du figured that if Little Bird suggested he personally join in on some wall-climbing sack-beating escapade right now, he might not refuse.

It wasn’t that his self-control had weakened.

It was just…

There probably wasn’t anyone in the world who could refuse a Little Bird whose eyes brimmed with pure expectation.

Shen Jiujiu flew to the pavilion railing. With his back to the moonlight, he paced back and forth on the silver-gilded rail, his tiny claws going da-da-da-da.

Pei Du was intimately familiar with every feather on Little Bird, every shade of color—because it had been so long since any living thing had stayed so close by his side.

Pei Du wanted to give Shen Jiujiu the best. Something even better.

Sometimes he regretted that Shen Jiujiu was just a little bird; there were so many things he couldn’t offer. But more often, Pei Du felt a base sort of relief, a guilty gladness that the creature who had come to his side was a bird.

A bird who could sleep soundly by his bedside, nestle in the cup of his palm. One he could carry everywhere, every moment, if only he let go of his restraint, his reserve.

Shen Jiujiu had no idea what Pei Du was thinking as he watched. He was simply, clumsily, earnestly calling on his bird instincts—lifting his wings, cocking his tail feathers—hoping to dance for his beloved and make him smile.

The railing provided a perfect flat surface for a bird to hop along. Shen Jiujiu’s fluffy tail fanned out like a hand fan. Each jump came with a little quiver of sound, punctuated by hums and chirps that kept the beat. It sounded more like he was singing and dancing.

A crisp clink of porcelain rang out. Shen Jiujiu’s movements stuttered to a halt as he looked at Pei Du in surprise.

Pei Du’s elbow rested on the table, his hand propping his cheek. Layers of sleeves, like bindings, slid down from his wrist to pool on the table.

Perhaps it was the wine from earlier, now going to his head. Pei Du’s posture carried a casual air, revealing a wild abandon utterly at odds with his usual upright elegance, his refusal to ever overstep.

His other hand pinched a silver fruit pick. Tapping it in time with Shen Jiujiu’s dance rhythm against the rims of cups and dishes, he produced a varied, lilting melody.

The corners of his eyes, fixed on Shen Jiujiu, tilted upward, his gaze holding a faint, elusive smile.

Little Bird’s steps faltered. He nearly slipped off the railing.

Truth be told, the first time Shen Jiujiu had laid eyes on Pei Du, he’d thought that if you judged purely by his features, those phoenix eyes ought to sparkle with amorous life.

But Pei Du’s temperament had frozen that vivid allure into a secret no one else could glimpse.

Now, though, Little Bird had seen it.

Shen Jiujiu felt the little bird heart in his chest pounding wildly, chaotically—bang bang bang bang.

Little Bird didn’t want to calm down!

Little Bird wanted cuddles!

The bird ball zoomed straight at Pei Du, then braked with a wing-flare right in front of him. He traced a shaky arc along Pei Du’s knee, his wings rubbing and sweeping stickily across the seated man’s lap.

Pei Du tacitly opened his palm.

Shen Jiujiu flapped his wings and landed in the palm of his beloved’s hand. With his tail feathers, he gently brushed over Pei Du’s skin, little by little, while a soft, trembling chirp escaped his throat.

Their gazes locked.

Pei Du’s reflection shone clearly in the little bird’s pupils, sparkling with starlight brighter than the moon itself.

“Chirp~”

Blushing with shyness, Shen Jiujiu spread his wings toward Pei Du.

Pei Du reached out to stroke the little bird, but a sudden shout halted his motion.

“Stop—!!! Don’t touch it!!!”

Sui Ziming’s voice rang out with utter seriousness.

Pei Du: “……?”

Shen Jiujiu: “……?”

Where had he even come from?

Sui Ziming clutched a greasy drumstick in one hand. He sat cross-legged on a tree branch not far from the Octagonal Pavilion, lounging leisurely as if basking in the moonlight. “Just so we’re clear, I was here first~”

Pei Du shifted his posture, letting his sleeve fall back down and smoothing his robe with calm composure. In an instant, he reverted to his usual poised self.

Shen Jiujiu clamped his beak tight and shot Sui Ziming glare after glare.

Fine, whatever—he was here. But couldn’t he just stay quiet on the sidelines?

This was supposed to be such a beautiful, romantic date under the moonlight!

And now there was a total third wheel.

It was infuriating the little bird!

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you two. I’ve got that much common sense.”

Sui Ziming could tell Pei Du was in a foul mood tonight. He had no intention of pushing his luck.

“The thing is, one of you doesn’t keep birds, and the other isn’t a real bird. I figured I had a duty to set a few things straight. What if something goes wrong down the line?”

Pei Du offered Shen Jiujiu a shred of meat and smoothed down the little bird dumpling’s puffed-up feathers. “What is it?”

Perched in the tree, Sui Ziming swung his long legs idly. “That move Jiujiu just pulled? For little birds, that’s called a courtship dance~”

The words hit Shen Jiujiu and Pei Du like a thunderbolt, leaving them both stunned.

Pei Du, the one being courted, took a moment to process it. Even Shen Jiujiu, the courter himself, froze solid for a good while.

Huh?

Sui Ziming took one look at their faces and clicked his tongue. “Aw, don’t sweat it. It’s just little bird instinct.”

“Bird owners like us—we’re together dawn to dusk, thick as thieves. Naturally, during courtship season, a little bird’s first pick is its owner. My A Sa’s done it to me too. Its dance moves were killer~”

Sui Ziming’s voice swelled with the beaming pride of every devoted bird keeper when he spoke of A Sa.

“But we can’t respond to a little bird’s courtship!”

His tone grew deadly serious.

“See, once the courtship’s done, if the one being courted touches those spread wings, it’s taken as acceptance. Problem is, we can’t lay eggs with the bird. Driven by instinct, it’ll start getting depressed, maybe even lose its will to live.”

Pei Du glanced at his fingers—the ones that had nearly brushed the little bird’s wings. A complicated, subtle expression crossed his face.

Shen Jiujiu stared at those same fingers of his beloved, his eyes brimming with regret and a fierce urge to assassinate Sui Ziming.

“Oh, one more thing!” Sui Ziming, sensing the faint killing intent, started edging away with his drumstick in hand. Then he remembered and added, “During courtship, little birds might peck out feathers as a courtship gift. Watch yourself, cousin—don’t accept any from Jiujiu, or you’ll end up the heartless cad~”

Pei Du’s brow twitched faintly. He said nothing.

Shen Jiujiu hopped in fury, but he refused to let this moonlight date end.

The little bird scanned the table, snatched a peanut in his beak, and positioned it carefully. Spotting his target, he launched into the air with a spiraling kick.

The peanut rocketed straight toward Sui Ziming, who caught it effortlessly and tossed it into his mouth.

Shen Jiujiu sputtered in outrage. “Chirp chirp chirp—!!!”

Sui! Zi! Ming!

Mind your own damn business!

To the little bird, you—vanish!

Right now, this instant, immediately!