Shen Jiujiu’s mood was simply fantastic.
Incredibly so.
His animated chirps, rising and falling with dramatic flair, finally got on Xie Jingtang’s nerves. She reached out and pinched his little beak shut. “Take a breather, little ancestor. You don’t even pause for air with those calls of yours.”
“Mmph.”
With his beak pinched, Shen Jiujiu let out a muffled peep, his eyes wide with innocence.
It was early in the morning, and Shen Jiujiu had Xie Jingtang in stitches. “No wonder Ziming calls you a little chick~”
Shen Jiujiu lifted a talon and waved it in the air, proudly flashing the sharp, gleaming claws that no chick would ever have.
Xie Jingtang laughed a bit longer before stroking his little bird head and lowering her voice. “About that dream you just mentioned—actually, this works out well. At least in his heart, you’re no longer just a simple little bird. It’s a major step forward for your relationship.”
Shen Jiujiu nodded vigorously.
Exactly! That’s precisely what he thought!
“You should strike while the iron’s hot, but leave him some room to mull things over.” Xie Jingtang had been married, after all.
Though men like Shen Mingqian and Pei Du were worlds apart in every way, the fundamentals of getting along in a marriage boiled down to a handful of principles. After that, it all came down to compatibility and finding the right match.
Shen Jiujiu’s little bird eyes shone with pure clarity.
Xie Jingtang sighed. “You two never went through the formal bows or tea ceremonies, but up until now, Lord Pei must have treated you more like a student. Being a little bird made things unconsciously more intimate.”
“But after what happened in the dream, expect him to keep you at a slight distance for the next few days. You need to prepare yourself.”
Shen Jiujiu pondered this.
Then enlightenment dawned.
The Little Bird Dumpling flapped his wings confidently at his own mother.
This was straight out of the novels—the ambiguous phase where the love interest twisted himself in knots!
The little bird got it!
He knew exactly what to do!
No problem!
“Sigh—”
Before Xie Jingtang could ask just what Shen Jiujiu thought he understood, he spread his wings and flew off in high spirits.
Knowing how Xinian’s ideas could be downright peculiar and his actions shockingly direct, Xie Jingtang sucked in a breath.
…It should be fine, right?
What trouble could one little bird possibly cause?
Was he going to pounce on Pei Du and force himself on the man?
At that thought, Xie Jingtang suddenly relaxed.
Everything would be okay.
…
Shen Jiujiu flew out of Xie Jingtang’s courtyard and circled the estate, searching for Sui Ziming.
He searched high and low but couldn’t find the man who usually popped up out of nowhere.
Left with no choice, the little bird landed in front of a little sparrow on sentry duty and asked if it had seen the nice-smelling human.
Fortunately, Sui Ziming stood out to the sparrows—his presence was unforgettable. With just a few questions, Shen Jiujiu got his answer.
Sui Ziming had headed to the Capital Suburbs Drill Ground at the crack of dawn.
The Capital Suburbs Drill Ground? The little bird had never been there.
Shen Jiujiu was about to bribe one of the little sparrows with his special bird treats to guide him when his nape was suddenly seized. The entire little bird was scooped up and tossed backward, landing steadily amid soft feathers.
“Cheep!”
A Sa!
The majestic Haidongqing gave a low, rumbling response before spreading its wings and soaring into the sky toward the drill ground.
“Cheep cheep?”
【Can we fly around like this outside?】
Shen Jiujiu worriedly gave A Sa’s feathers a gentle peck.
He was used to flying freely outside—after all, as a long-tailed tit, he looked utterly harmless, just a fluffy puffball. But A Sa was another story.
A raptor cruising over the city could easily spook people and stir up trouble.
And normally, when Sui Ziming wasn’t around the estate, A Sa was tethered to the eagle perch by its leg ring. So why was it out flying today?
A Sa let out a high-pitched, clipped call—far more delicate and crisp than its usual intimidating hunting cry.
【Your human told me to take you out to play.】
Shen Jiujiu paused in his pecking.
The little bird’s call carried clear confusion. “Cheep… cheep cheep?”
【My benefactor… untied A Sa’s leg ring?】
A Sa’s reply was firm, its voice sounding almost like a cheerful “Ee-lee ee-lee.”
【Yes. He said to take you out and play.】
The little bird curled his wings inward and tapped his beak against his chest in thought.
So, the benefactor’s idea of “distance” to sort out his thoughts was just having A Sa take him out for the day?
That was it?
They’d still be snuggling in the same nest come nightfall!
Shen Jiujiu twisted his head to preen a bit of itchy fluff on his neck.
A Sa cried out once, folded its wings, and plummeted into a steep dive.
Far below, Shen Jiujiu spotted Sui Ziming in sleek riding gear. Hearing them, he raised an arm and let out a sharp whistle.
Shen Jiujiu’s talons gripped A Sa’s feathers tight, the thrill like riding the world’s highest roller coaster.
Wheee!
No more thinking—time to play!
~~~
The moment Shen Jiujiu was carried out of the estate by A Sa, the Dark Guards reported it straight to Pei Du.
Pei Du was in the middle of a chess game. Black and white pieces intertwined across the board, the once-balanced fronts now tilting decisively as black bore down on white.
Zheng Min was someone Pei Du had never spared a thought for before.
A young man still making his name in court—even as the Heir of Prince Wu—hardly merited special attention.
But in yesterday’s dream, the tone and wording Shen Xinian had used when mentioning Zheng Min had caught Pei Du’s notice.
He still couldn’t quite parse what “Long Aotian” meant, but the highly specific, easily guessed moniker immediately brought to mind his old suspicions about Shen Jiujiu.
No matter what Xinian was truly like or what this world truly was, the past existed. Life was built step by step by one’s own hands. What else mattered?
Especially since…
Pei Du placed a white stone with care, staving off black’s encroaching siege.
…Xinian had changed Ziming’s fate, hadn’t he?
That proved heaven’s mandate could be defied.
Pei Du’s fingers curved slightly, the faint blue veins on the back of his distinct-knuckled hand faintly visible with the motion.
Suddenly, the barest hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
It was faint, but a trace of almost pitying understanding leaked from the corners of his eyes and brows.
—How intriguing.
At the windowsill, the delicate and elegant potted bamboo thrived beautifully, its leaves quivering lightly in the breeze.
One piece after another, the stones were repositioned and reassessed.
A long while later, Pei Du pinched a chess piece between his fingers and lifted his gaze to the small desk beside the table not far away.
The study was very quiet today.
Without the little bird’s tap-tap-tap-tap on the abacus, it had suddenly returned to that day-after-day, year-after-year silence of before.
Pei Du stared at the small desk. For a fleeting moment, he lost himself in thought, picturing the little bird who used to bounce and hop on the desk while kicking at the abacus beads. In his mind’s eye, that image was replaced by a boy with a serious expression, lips stubbornly pursed as he worked the abacus and muttered complaints under his breath about how truly difficult the Pei Mansion’s accounts were to calculate.
Pei Du smiled faintly.
His fingers brushed the curve at the corner of his lips, and he paused, gradually letting the smile fade.
…
He spent a rare quiet day in the mansion, his expression perpetually aloof. Zhong Bo, standing nearby, seemed hesitant to speak several times.
Until that fluffy dumpling with its long tail came barreling straight through the door and crashed right into Pei Du’s chest.
Zhong Bo glanced at the way Pei Du’s brows instantly relaxed, then at the little bird dumpling coquettishly chirping in his arms. Chuckling, he withdrew to prepare the evening meal.
Ever since that shocking upheaval, their lord had developed a habit of pushing away anyone or anything that affected him. Even Young Master Ziming had only carved out a place in his heart by shamelessly clinging on at the mansion, refusing to leave and shouting things like, “Cousin, if you don’t care for me, I’m just going to kick the bucket!”
But now, it seemed their lord’s heart and eyes were entirely occupied by a certain bird dumpling, who stood with hands on hips, proudly staking his claim.
Shen Jiujiu paid no mind to whether Pei Du’s movements were hesitant or his expression subtly conflicted. The little bird simply seized Pei Du’s sleeve in his beak and tugged him toward the door.
Pei Du yielded to Shen Jiujiu’s pull and stepped outside, only to come face-to-face with a tall horse that had appeared in the courtyard from who-knew-where.
“Neigh—”
It was a chestnut horse that didn’t look particularly remarkable at first glance, though its coat was fine indeed. From its eyes, its temperament seemed mild enough.
Pei Du instinctively evaluated the horse from Shen Jiujiu’s perspective.
Shen Jiujiu had no idea that his benefactor was already sizing it up in his mind. The little bird dragged his benefactor to the prime viewing spot, then eagerly spread his wings and flew over, landing gracefully on the saddle.
Shen Jiujiu lifted a wing and waved it dashingly.
“Chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp!”
The chestnut horse responded at once, stepping forward with a smooth gait.
What nonsense!
The horse had no reins or bridle. If it bolted and he fell, even wings might not save him from being trampled!
Pei Du’s expression shifted, and he moved to step forward and make Shen Jiujiu get down.
However…
As Pei Du watched, his expression grew increasingly peculiar.
Low chuckles finally escaped from the Dark Guards lurking in the shadows of the courtyard and from Sui Ziming himself.
The horse beneath Shen Jiujiu’s talons was perfectly safe—it wouldn’t jolt even slightly.
Because this was a Smooth-Turning Horse.
Shen Jiujiu stood tall on the saddle, chirping commands as he guided the docile mount around the courtyard several times. Each pass by Pei Du was accompanied by an expectant little glance.
Benefactor, did you see?
This is a horse~
What the eyes see during the day, the dreams will follow at night!
Pei Du, who had guessed the purpose behind Shen Jiujiu’s antics: “…”
Lord Pei, who had withheld the truth out of mischievous amusement at first, now found himself at a loss for words. Watching the tall horse circle smoothly before him, he felt a helpless sense of reaping what he had sown.
Whether there would be a horse in his dreams tonight was now a gravely serious question.
LMFAOO