Chapter 41: Necklace?

Necklace?

Oh, right. Before they headed out, Benefactor had specially fastened that Little Bird necklace around his neck.

Shen Jiujiu lowered his head. His beak searched his plump neck but found no sign of the gold chain. “!”

Sui Ziming might annoy Little Bird at times, but that necklace had been personally commissioned from a master goldsmith. Price aside, it was the sentiment that mattered.

More than that, Shen Jiujiu had always felt that in some profound way, the necklace symbolized true acceptance from Benefactor, Sui Ziming—or rather, the entire household of Pei Mansion.

It was like A Sa flying free: anyone who spotted it would recognize the leg ring and know it had an owner. In the same way, when Shen Jiujiu took to the skies wearing his necklace, everyone would see that Little Bird was no unwanted stray, but a cherished pet with a home and people who cared.

So where was Little Bird’s necklace?

Shen Jiujiu racked his memory for a good while before dredging up a hazy recollection from his tear-soaked reunion with Mother.

The necklace… had Mother unclasped it?

Perhaps it had simply slipped off by accident.

Perched on Pei Du’s finger, Shen Jiujiu didn’t dwell on it. He flopped forward, wings splayed, his entire little body nestling into Pei Du’s palm. Whoosh—he slid down from the raised wrist, along the forearm to the elbow, burrowing most of himself into the sleeve of Pei Du’s inner robe.

“Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!”

Little Bird would search Mother’s room tomorrow!

So that was why Benefactor seemed a touch unhappy—the necklace was missing.

Easy fix: find it and all would be well!

Shen Jiujiu’s wings hugged Pei Du’s forearm tight, rubbing his soft cheeks against it. His wings even took the chance to sneakily brush over the firm muscles there.

Hard to believe Benefactor was a scholar without a drop of internal force.

What a physique.

Little Bird was envious.

Sensing the warmth pressing against his skin, Pei Du softened his tone. “It’s all right if it can’t be found. Ziming won’t fuss over something so trivial.”

That only made Little Bird feel guiltier.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

We’ll find it for sure!

At last, Pei Du’s lips curved in a faint smile. He set Little Bird gently by the pillow and lay down.

Shen Jiujiu eyed Pei Du. His instincts told him Benefactor was still just a smidge from being fully soothed.

The little bird ball on the pillow pondered, then scooted closer to Pei Du’s cheek. His tiny head nuzzled Benefactor’s nose tip first, the soft warmth trailing downward until it nestled into the hollow of Benefactor’s neck.

Shen Jiujiu had tried sleeping elsewhere before, but Pei Du held an inexplicable stubbornness on the matter. He’d rather wage nightly battles with Little Bird than let him stray from the pillow.

This time, though, Pei Du lifted a hand just slightly. His fingers rested lightly over the bird ball buried in his neck hollow, his voice warm and even. “There, now. Time for sleep.”

Shen Jiujiu pecked tenderly at Pei Du’s fingertip a few times—their secret goodnight kiss, known only to Little Bird. His heart bubbling with delight, he closed his eyes.

“Chirp~”

Goodnight, Benefactor~

About half an hour later, Pei Du’s eyes snapped open, perfectly clear.

Shen Jiujiu was snuggled into Pei Du’s neck hollow, sleeping like a log. He’d uncurled from his initial bird ball into a fully relaxed sprawl.

Wings akimbo, claws upturned, fluffy belly rising and falling. Even his tail feathers had fanned out like a little fan.

Pei Du cradled Little Bird in his palm and eased him back onto the pillow. He drew aside the cloth he’d been carrying and draped it over the bird’s belly.

Sensing the shift beneath him, Shen Jiujiu’s claws twitched in the air.

They latched precisely onto Pei Du’s outstretched finger.

Little Bird gripped Benefactor’s finger tight. After a moment, his claws relaxed bit by bit, and he drifted off again.

Pei Du drew the bed curtains shut once more, shrugged into an outer robe, and made his unhurried way to the study.

Jiujiu truly was the only remedy that let Pei Du sleep soundly through the night.

That fire years ago had consumed the once bright, upright Pei Fuguang, forging the Pei Du of today.

Through countless sleepless nights over the years, he’d mastered the art of staying ever vigilant—even if true rest eluded him.

~~~

Pei Du, who had court duties ahead, rose before dawn as always. Shen Jiujiu stirred at the sounds beyond the bed curtains, blinking awake in a daze. He was just about to wriggle out the edge for a surprise attack on Benefactor when he noticed an extra weight on his chest.

Hm?

Little Bird sat up and dipped his beak to inspect the gold necklace looped around his neck.

It closely resembled the old one. Tailored for a bird, the chain was delicate and feather-light; without the pendant, you’d scarcely feel it.

Only this pendant wasn’t a sapphire. It was a sliver of white jade, half the size of a pinky nail, translucent with a subtle pink glow.

Shen Jiujiu was no stranger to fine things.

They’d pared this jade down as thin as possible, but flawless sheep-fat jade like this was treasure enough—let alone with that distinct rosy tint.

No offcuts here; this came from a stone’s finest heart.

And even in its tiny form, it had been carved—not into anything ordinary.

Dim light filtered through the bed curtains. Shen Jiujiu craned his neck but couldn’t quite make out the details of the engraving.

The curtains parted. Pei Du stood by the window, gazing warmly at the little bird pecking at his jade pendant. “Awake?”

“Chirp chirp!” Shen Jiujiu fluttered out to land on Pei Du’s shoulder, chest puffed to flaunt his new necklace. “Chirp~”

Is this for Little Bird?

Pei Du stepped to the dressing mirror and flipped the pendant on Little Bird’s chest frontward. “Had it carved a while back. With the old chain gone, this one’s just right for Jiujiu.”

Wow!

Shen Jiujiu pressed right up to the mirror.

The bronze surface wasn’t crystal clear, but it showed the white jade pendant carved into a fluffy little bird!

Constrained by size, the details were simple, yet the likeness was vivid—a perfect miniature Shen Jiujiu.

Vain as ever, Little Bird twisted this way and that before the mirror, admiring from every angle. He spread his wings, spun in circles, utterly smitten.

“Like it?”

In his crimson court robes, Pei Du stood tall and composed behind Little Bird. His fingers paused at the nape of Little Bird’s neck, adjusting the chain, then trailed down to stroke along his back.

Shen Jiujiu burst out: “Chirp!!”

Little Bird likes!!

“Chirp—chirp chirp chirp!!”

Super likes!!

Bedecked in his new bauble, the little bird sang a sunny, exuberant melody the whole way, flashing his necklace proudly to one and all.

If no one praised the Little Bird Pendant, he would pick it up in his beak to show it off, but if they did, he would circle around them twice before flying back into Pei Du’s palm.

Pei Du cradled this excited little ball of feathers, his entire demeanor growing gentler by the moment.

After sharing breakfast with his Benefactor, Shen Jiujiu flapped his wings to see him off at the door.

No sooner had Pei Du stepped out of the Pei Mansion to head to court than Shen Jiujiu checked the hour. Seeing that daylight had broken, he too set out, flying toward the post station.

Before leaving, he hadn’t forgotten to rummage out a small pouch, stuff two strips of jerky inside, and grip it tightly in his claws.

Mother apparently had no experience raising birds and didn’t know that Jiujiu ate meat.

But that was fine. Jiujiu could bring his own rations.

Little Bird was so sensible!

~~~

It was early morning, the sky just barely lightening.

The Western Regions Envoy Group had only arrived in the Capital the day before, so they were undoubtedly taking the day to rest and recuperate. The post station was quiet, with hardly anyone stirring.

Shen Jiujiu glided lightly over the treetops and alighted before Xie Jingtang’s door.

The door was locked, so he switched to gripping the pouch in his beak. Hopping along, he skirted around the door, hopped up to the window, and peered in. He noticed that the hole in the window paper from yesterday—where the bird had slipped through—hadn’t been patched yet. It gaped open just as before.

They probably hadn’t had time to fix it yet, given the early hour.

Perfect.

Little Bird shoved the pouch forcefully through the hole in the window paper, aiming to retrace his steps from the day before.

But the other end of the pouch seemed to snag on something. No matter how he pushed, it wouldn’t go through. Shen Jiujiu simply rammed his head against the pouch, bracing his claws against the window frame, and gave a mighty shove.

The resistance suddenly gave way. With too much momentum, Shen Jiujiu tumbled head over tail—pouch and all—right through the window paper.

…Straight into the birdcage.

Clutching his little pouch, Shen Jiujiu stared blankly out at Xie Jingtang, who stood with one eyebrow arched.

At last, Shen Jiujiu realized what was wrong.

He had been exposed just days after arriving at the Pei Mansion, and in their time together since, his conversations with his Benefactor had always flowed too smoothly.

It had never even occurred to Shen Jiujiu that not everyone would suspect a little bird that appeared nearby of harboring a human soul—one fluent in tenth-level Chirp Language, no less.

Good news: Little Bird had found Mother, and she had even extended an invitation to adopt him.

Bad news: Little Bird had been treated like a real bird and stuffed into a cage.

Xie Jingtang, who had been waiting up all night for him, shut the cage door. She sat down on the left side of the table, folding her hands before her, and smiled faintly. “I didn’t believe the High Priestess when she said it, but sure enough, little one, you really are a little bird spy, aren’t you?”

Shen Jiujiu: “?”

Who?

Who was a little bird spy?!

Shen Jiujiu shoved the pouch in his arms aside and stood tall, wings akimbo on his hips, ready to chirp indignantly—until he remembered the other reason he had come to the envoy group.

Aside from finding Mother, Shen Jiujiu also suspected that she had been deceived into coming to the Capital. So Little Bird had indeed planned to eavesdrop or sneak around a bit, then report back to his Benefactor.

Well…

That was…

…He couldn’t exactly deny being a little bird spy.

Shen Jiujiu’s righteous momentum deflated in an instant. The wings he had been about to plant on his hips drooped.

He busied himself rubbing at his face.

It was a bit awkward.

Maybe he should eat something.

Dodging Mother’s gaze, Shen Jiujiu steeled himself and pulled a strip of jerky from the pouch. Gripping it in his claws, he brought it to his beak and nibbled away bit by bit.

Xie Jingtang: “…Pfft.”

Nearly undone by how adorable the little guy was, she pinched her thigh hard under the table to maintain her stern interrogating expression. “Tell me, whose little bird scout are you?”

Shen Jiujiu blinked his little bird eyes. “Chirp chirp chirp.”

Jiujiu had answered, hadn’t he?

It wasn’t his fault if Mother couldn’t understand.

So, could you really get answers interrogating a bird like this?

Xie Jingtang finally lost it and collapsed over the edge of the table, laughing uproariously.

Shen Jiujiu sulkily munched on his jerky, muttering chirps under his breath from time to time.

“Oh dear, you come all this way and even bring your own rations.”

“Goodness, aren’t you just too polite?”

Xie Jingtang reached into the cage to tease the amusing, fluffy little creature. Her fingertips toyed with his long tail feathers, occasionally prodding the plump, pouting bird belly.

When she spotted the new sheep-fat jade necklace around Shen Jiujiu’s neck, a flicker of expected understanding passed through her eyes.

She had previously taken a risk by asking Elder Princess Yu Hui to pull some strings, hoping to trade intelligence on Prince Wu’s hoarding of troops.

Xie Jingtang had been away from the Capital for years, but before Prince Wu began hunting her down, she had kept in touch with Zheng Ying all that time.

Zheng Ying had indeed helped her, but she had also warned Xie Jingtang that the person who could assist her wasn’t easy to negotiate with—and that they would meet once she entered the city.

No sooner had she arrived at the post station yesterday than the High Priestess mentioned a little bird spy trailing her.

That was why Xie Jingtang had removed the bird’s pendant yesterday—to signal to whoever was behind the bird that she had noticed.

“Your master sure is petty.”

But instead of coming to her themselves, they had simply put a new necklace on the bird.

It was practically a declaration of ownership.

This pendant was far more expensive and thoughtful than the last one. It was as if they had engraved “hands off my bird” right on the jade.

Regardless of whether she could strike a deal with the bird’s master, at least there was no hostility.

Though Shen Jiujiu was a bit miffed about being locked in the cage, he couldn’t resist leaning in at the sight of Mother’s fingers.

Xie Jingtang tugged at the sheep-fat jade pendant on his chest and let out a soft tsk.

Truth be told, she really did want to keep this little guy.

But it felt wrong to steal him away.

Oh well. Xinian’s matters took priority. The bird could wait.

Xie Jingtang withdrew her hand. “Alright, just stay in the cage for now. Once your master comes looking, we can talk business.”

With that, she set the cage by the window, thoughtfully cracking it open a sliver for air, then walked to the other side of the room and began clicking away at her abacus, tallying accounts.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

“Chiiirp—!!”

“Chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp!”

Shen Jiujiu wanted to call Mother back.

At least give Little Bird a chance to prove his identity!!

A brush! Some paper! Anything!

But Xie Jingtang acted as if she heard nothing, continuing to work her abacus.

Shen Jiujiu snapped his beak shut, utterly deflated.

Sigh.

Truth be told, Little Bird understood.

People like Benefactor, who had top-notch acceptance and even thought to prepare ink and brush for a bird the size of a claw, were exceedingly rare.

Shen Jiujiu pressed his little bird face against the gaps in the cage, stubbornly inspecting the latch. To his dismay, he couldn’t figure out its mechanism for the life of him.

Clearly, after the little bird’s escape attempt, Xie Jingtang had specially reinforced the lock to hold him hostage for negotiations.

He had slipped out just fine.

But now he couldn’t get back in.

Shen Jiujiu slammed his forehead into the cage bars. His soft chest feathers poked out through the gaps, and the little jade pendant around his neck clinked crisply against the metal.

The little bird didn’t dare imagine Benefactor’s reaction—Benefactor, whom he’d only just coaxed last night—upon discovering he’d truly failed to return home.

Shen Jiujiu spread his wings, curling their tips around the bars, his head slumped against the cage in tearful despair.

Done for.

So embarrassing.

Now he really was a bird in hostage.

The more he thought about it, the more mortified he became. His beak pecked frantically at the cage—tap-tap-tap-tap.

Once he got back, that guy Sui Ziming was sure to mock the little bird for half a month straight.

Wuu.

~~~

Meanwhile, when Pei Du returned from court and discovered the little bird was missing from the residence, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Nor was he angry.

Pei Du changed out of his court robes and removed his official hat. He washed his hands and wiped his face.

Zhong Bo had laid out formal attire for him: a lustrous jade crown and a complete set of accessories, including a waist pouch.

Once dressed, Pei Du checked the time and smoothed his sleeve with his fingers. “Add a few Jinling dishes to the evening meal,” he instructed. “And have the kitchen prepare a few things Xinian can eat.”

Zhong Bo acknowledged the order, his expression grave and serious.

Pei Du paused in thought, then added, “Have Ziming join us this evening as well.”

Reliability aside, Sui Ziming was undeniably gifted when it came to mending fences and lightening the mood.