Chapter 57

This horse was the one Shen Jiujiu had swiped from Sui Ziming.

A horse with a smooth gait was different from a pacing horse. Though both moved with steadier steps, the smooth gait was a defect in the animal’s stride—one that made it poorly suited for the long cavalry charges and prone to stumbling from mismatched footfalls.

Horses like this weren’t popular. Once their gait issue became apparent, they were demoted to draft work.

But it had been raised as a warhorse, and Sui Ziming couldn’t bear the thought of it being dragged off for menial labor. So he bought it from the Taipu Temple and occasionally took it for a run on the drill ground.

When Shen Jiujiu and A Sa went to play at the drill ground, Sui Ziming’s horse happened to be standing right there.

Little Bird’s eyes lit up at the sight, and the abacus in his mind started clacking away.

Talk about perfect timing—just what he needed!

He couldn’t directly interfere with specific things appearing in his benefactor’s dreams, but everyone knew dreams drew from the day’s thoughts. If Little Bird rode this horse back and forth in front of his benefactor for a few hours, the odds of a horseback scene popping up in tonight’s dreams would shoot way up.

And so, with A Sa’s brute strength providing backup, Shen Jiujiu forged a tentative friendship with the horse—right in front of its owner, Sui Ziming.

The horse wasn’t the brightest; otherwise, it wouldn’t have such an incurable smooth gait. But Shen Jiujiu was relentless. He planted himself on the horse’s face and cheeped nonstop at its eyes: cheep-cheep-cheep!

Any time the horse grew impatient and tried to shake him off, A Sa would smack it with a wing.

Sui Ziming watched the spectacle with delight, though he did pity the horse as its eyes grew even more vacant from A Sa’s wing buffets. He fed it a lump of sugar, patted its head, and urged it to cooperate with this little bird dumpling and whatever new scheme it had hatched.

The result?

Sui Ziming never dreamed that Shen Jiujiu had gone to all that trouble just to ride circles in front of Pei Du.

What was the point of that?

Seeing the hesitant look on Pei Du’s face, Sui Ziming crouched in the tree and rubbed his chin.

There was definitely something off between this man and this bird.

Birdie had a crush!

People got extra patient when up to no good, and a little bird in courtship mode was patient to a fault.

Shen Jiujiu bounced from the saddle to the horse’s head, putting the chestnut stallion through its paces with all sorts of tricks right in front of Pei Du. All for the hope that tonight, a love horse big enough for two would trot into Pei Du’s dreams.

But Lord Pei had other ideas. No horses in his dreams.

So Pei Du closed his eyes.

Offended, Shen Jiujiu flapped straight at him—only to be neatly scooped up by Pei Du’s waiting hand. He turned and carried the bird into the study.

Not before shooting a pointed glance at Sui Ziming, who was peeking out from the treetop.

Sui Ziming made a face, hopped down, and led his horse away. For failing to get Shen Jiujiu’s permission first, he even took a couple of half-hearted wing smacks to the shoulders from A Sa.

Damn that little bird seductress—he’d gone and stolen his precious A Sa too!

~~~

Shen Jiujiu wriggled his head out from between Pei Du’s fingers and gave his fingertip a light peck with his beak, clearly a bit put out.

Pei Du had been heading for the desk, but his gaze flicked over to Little Bird’s desk afterward, and his steps faltered. He pivoted toward the arhat couch by the window and sat down.

Pei Du opened his cupped hands.

A fluffy ball of bird glowered up at him from his palm, its long tail feathers poking out through his fingers. With deliberate mischief, it knocked one of the chess pieces off the board.

“Cheep!”

Hmph!

The horse demo had been too brief. Shen Jiujiu wasn’t sure his benefactor had gotten a solid impression, so tonight’s dream probably wouldn’t feature any love horse. The fuzzy lump hopped down from Pei Du’s palm.

Shen Jiujiu thought he landed lightly amid the black-and-white grid of pieces. But the jade stones were too smooth and glossy. Right in front of his beloved, he pulled off a perfect little bird split.

One piece clattered to the floor. The bird in mid-split sat there frozen on the board, rigid as a statue.

Pei Du fought back the impulse to check for injuries and instead bent silently to retrieve the piece.

Never mind that Little Bird Dumpling was just a small fry—he had his pride.

Sure enough, by the time Pei Du turned back with deliberate slowness, the bird on the board had its tiny claws neatly together. It stood there with solemn poise amid the now-gapped board.

Pei Du settled back onto the couch. “Yesterday in the palace, you seemed awfully interested in the Heir of Prince Wu?”

Just as Shen Jiujiu asked Pei Du whatever was on his mind, Pei Du had learned the most efficient way to communicate with Shen Jiujiu.

Zheng Min?

Oh, right—he hadn’t told his benefactor about the Long Aotian male lead yet.

He needed to figure out how to explain it, where to start…

What came after Sui Ziming’s ambush and the emperor summoning all those sons of martial officials and nobles?

Got it!

While pulling a thoughtful expression and racking his brains to remember, Shen Jiujiu abruptly lifted the tip of one wing. His bewildered little eyes suddenly sparkled.

It was the Long Aotian male lead’s second major golden finger: the sworn loyalty of Lu Mu, commander of the Five Cities Garrison.

That allegiance was a huge factor in Zheng Min’s eventual successful rebellion after inheriting his princely title.

And Zheng Min’s link to Lu Mu stemmed from this very summons, when the emperor called in the sons of martial officials to attend him!

Lu Mu was a capital official. With the emperor’s decree, his legitimate eldest son had of course entered the palace too.

Aside from Zhong Bo, the Pei Mansion study never had maids or pages waiting around. Not even the dark guards could enter freely.

Shen Jiujiu circled the board once—no paper, no brush, not even a cup of water.

Pei Du realized as much and started to rise for some water. But then the bird on the board had a flash of inspiration. It spread its wings and swept all the pieces from their game positions, piling them into a little black-and-white hillock and clearing the board.

As everyone knew, rebirth didn’t come with an IQ upgrade. If anything, the new form might impart a touch of instinctual influence.

Shen Xinian had been an upbeat college student. He might not have been the star pupil or at the top university, but the hardships of his youth had taught him one thing: no matter the circumstances, life always left a ray of hope.

As long as he didn’t give up, as long as he kept pushing, he’d find a way.

Shen Xinian had always managed it.

So Shen Jiujiu was a brave little bird nothing could defeat.

His bird brain was just a tad too small, prone to getting stuck in ruts.

The little bird dumpling opened his beak wide and carefully picked up a chess piece, placing it in front of him with a sharp clack.

Hiss, his beak felt a bit small.

Shen Jiujiu smacked his little bird beak.

A hand reached over from the side and gently pushed the chess piece next to the little bird’s talons.

Shen Jiujiu, with his wings slightly spread, looked up at Pei Du and tilted his head.

At first, Pei Du hadn’t quite understood why, when he simply sat down beside him, Shen Jiujiu’s immediate reaction wasn’t to ask for paper and brush but to improvise by picking up a chess piece with his beak to solve the problem.

But as Shen Jiujiu earnestly began arranging the pieces, Pei Du suddenly got it.

Even after being cared for in Pei Mansion for all this time, and even though Shen Jiujiu truly saw this place as home—perhaps knowing he could rely on Pei Du, trust Sui Ziming, and believe in everyone in the household—Shen Xinian was still in the habit of handling things on his own.

Pei Du silently pushed one chess piece after another toward the little bird, his downcast eyes pondering thoughts known only to himself.

At first, Shen Jiujiu was picky about the colors of the pieces, using his beak to arrange them neatly. But laying out words with chess pieces was simply too slow and laborious, so later on, he just used his talons to rake pieces straight from Pei Du’s hand, placing them roughly in position.

In truth, Shen Jiujiu hadn’t even formed many characters.

Once the first five characters were out, Pei Du’s eyes had already narrowed slightly. When the “city” character was only half-formed, he spoke up. “Five Cities Soldier and Horse Division Commandant, Lu Mu?”

Shen Jiujiu nodded vigorously, hopping da-da-da right into Pei Du’s palm and poking himself in forcefully. “Chirp chirp chirp~”

My beak’s tired, Benefactor, give me a rub~

The little bird’s appearance was far too beguiling. Even though Pei Du repeatedly warned himself in his heart not to get too intimate with Xinian, when Shen Jiujiu leaned in with such utter dependence, his hand still cupped around him involuntarily.

In just a few short months, this little bird dumpling had embedded himself perfectly into Pei Du’s body and soul, like he belonged there.

The pad of Pei Du’s finger touched the fluffy top of the little bird’s head.

He paused, then gently shifted his finger back.

Shen Jiujiu had been about to snuggle against his benefactor when the hand vanished.

The little bird was displeased. His talons unceremoniously stomped on Pei Du’s palm, launching a full-on little bird assault to stick himself to Pei Du’s retreating finger.

Wasn’t the little bird cute?!

Why run?!

Pet the bird!

Not only did Shen Jiujiu stick to it—he treated Pei Du’s finger like a branch and hung his entire body from it.

If Benefactor won’t pet me, then the little bird will proactively get petted by Benefactor!

Pei Du held his breath for an instant, then let out a long exhale.

He abandoned his earlier retreat, his finger gently stroking Shen Jiujiu’s cheek and beak just as before, crooking to scratch the little bird’s itch.

It scratched Shen Jiujiu until his eyes squinted, his body growing softer and softer, taking on a dazed, utterly enchanted look.

“Lu Mu is a close friend from my youth,” Pei Du said softly.

Shen Jiujiu’s little bird head processed it for a moment before he understood what Pei Du meant. He forced his eyes wide open. “Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp?!”

How could that Lu Mu defect to Long Aotian the Male Lead’s side?!

Wasn’t that a total backstab?!

No, he had to warn Benefactor.

Shen Jiujiu struggled to get down from Pei Du’s hand.

Pei Du didn’t let go.

Not only did he not let go—he even pinched the little bird’s wings.

“Chirp!” Shen Jiujiu, eager to get down to business, angrily pecked at Pei Du’s finger.

But Pei Du said, “Everyone has weaknesses. With weaknesses, you can create conflicts, and with conflicts come breakthroughs.”

“At that point, it’s either be eliminated or submit—there’s always a choice to be made.”

Shen Jiujiu stared at Pei Du like he’d seen a ghost.

Wait, hadn’t he only written about half a character from start to finish?

He’d never even mentioned Long Aotian the Male Lead to Benefactor before. How was Benefactor suddenly clairvoyant, grasping “Zheng Min’s rebellion, Lu Mu’s defection” with perfect accuracy?

“Lu Mu and his wife married young, their bond deep and devoted. Their children are well-raised, from eldest to youngest, with both parents gone and his clan praising him for the good he’s done for the community.”

When Pei Du spoke of Lu Mu, there wasn’t a trace of warmth for an old friend—instead, it felt calmly practiced, as if he’d imagined this betrayal countless times before.

“To deal with someone so seemingly perfect, without a single flaw, a gentleman’s path offers few options. But villainous means? All too easy.”

Shen Jiujiu slowly, smoothly slid from Pei Du’s palm like liquid, landing belly-up flat on the chessboard.

Stuff like this—even if the little bird grew ten heads, he really wouldn’t be good at it!

Pei Du poked the little bird with his finger.

The little bird’s body swayed but didn’t budge. Instead, he closed his eyes.

Pei Du couldn’t help chuckling. “Mm, you don’t need to learn this one.”

Shen Jiujiu instantly revived on the spot, bouncing straight up.

You should’ve said so sooner!

Pei Du: “Normally, I have no one to discuss these things with.”

Shen Jiujiu’s heart softened immediately.

The little bird snuggled back into Benefactor’s palm, rubbing hard. “Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp chirp!”

Tell it to Jiujiu, Benefactor! Even if Jiujiu can’t learn it, he can still listen!

“Thank you, Jiujiu.” Pei Du extended his hand toward Shen Jiujiu, his tone carrying none of the cold arrogance he showed outside.

Shen Jiujiu hopped onto Pei Du’s finger, tucking in his talons to nestle into a perfect bird ball on Pei Du’s hand.

“The breakthrough Zheng Min can exploit is none other than Lu Mu’s eldest son…”

As Pei Du spoke, he tidied the chessboard, dropping the black pieces into the black bowl and holding the white ones between his fingers.

Shen Jiujiu listened while shrinking his head, squinting his eyes to line up a chess piece with the bowl, then flinging his head to knock the pieces from Pei Du’s fingers into it.

Each time a piece clinked into the bowl, Shen Jiujiu would chirp now and then in agreement, showing he was paying attention.

Man and bird played like this, one talking and the other listening intently, until dinnertime arrived.

It wasn’t a special occasion today. Sui Ziming wasn’t there for dinner—he’d gone riding. Xie Jingtang and Jia San were out shopping and not back at the mansion. So dinner was still just Pei Du and Shen Jiujiu’s private time.

Shen Jiujiu ate like a whirlwind, gobbling up the bird feed in his little bowl in a flash.

Even eating that fast, he paused midway to sip water and clear his throat, somehow avoiding choking entirely.

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Jiujiu—still wearing his little bird bib—nestled beside the bowls and dishes, his eyes locked intently on Pei Du as he dined.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Benefactor was eating far too slowly today, savoring every bite with exaggerated care.

Even Little Bird, pecking up grains one by one, ate faster than Benefactor!

Under the bird’s burning gaze, Pei Du’s movements with his chopsticks slowed even further.

What else could he do? He still hadn’t decided whether to indulge in a wet dream that night.

He hadn’t even figured out how to get into bed and sleep.

Knowing intellectually that there was a person inside Little Bird’s body was one thing. Actually seeing that person transform, interacting with him, talking to him—that was something else entirely.

Even if it had only happened in a dream, the impact lingered, sharp and vivid.

Shen Jiujiu had sidled up beside Pei Du’s hand at some point, tilting his head to watch him.

Pei Du kept his eyes straight ahead, focused on his meal.

And then… after more than a decade without it happening, Pei Du ate himself into a stupor.

Little Bird hopped along ahead of Pei Du, taking two steps before glancing back, shaking his head, then two more steps with a wistful sigh.

Wasn’t it Little Bird who’d said, Benefactor, you’re a grown man—how can you still eat until your belly’s stuffed like that?

Pei Du leaned against the wall, strolling languidly behind the bird.

Zhong Bo kept pace at his side, his steps equally measured.

He watched the bouncing Little Bird Dumpling ahead of them, then lowered his voice to a near-whisper as he asked Pei Du, “My lord, should we continue preparations for Jiujiu’s Apprenticeship Banquet as you instructed before?”

The Apprenticeship Banquet, witnessed by others, was the true mark of a formal master-disciple bond—not just a simple declaration of teacher and student.

Pei Du had proposed it earlier, but since Shen Jiujiu was a little bird, the preparations required many custom touches. Zhong Bo had been handling them right up to now.

Zhong Bo had no idea what had passed between Pei Du and Shen Jiujiu, but he could see that the usually forthright Pei Du was now avoiding a simple return to the Inner Courtyard for the night.

What was in the Inner Courtyard?

What was waiting inside the bed curtains?

Though stunned, Zhong Bo accepted it without question.

Pei Du faltered for a moment.

Yet even as they dawdled their way back to the Inner Courtyard, he gave no clear answer to Zhong Bo’s question.

Shen Jiujiu paid no mind to the exchange between Pei Du and Zhong Bo. Little Bird darted eagerly into the Inner Courtyard, landing beside his own copper basin. With remarkable self-sufficiency, he snatched up a cloth, dunked it in the water, wrung it out, and meticulously wiped his talons clean.

Then, under Pei Du’s silent gaze, he shot straight into the already-made bed.

Little Bird Dumpling rolled back and forth across the sheets, his eager anticipation plain as day.

Pei Du dawdled through his ablutions and changed clothes at a snail’s pace, even contemplating whether to summon attendants now for a bath.

After all, heating the water, bathing, and drying off would take considerable time.

But the bird on the bed was already eyeing him with suspicion.

Pei Du shelved the bathing idea, shuffled to the bedside, lay down, and shut his eyes.

No matter. He still had a plan.

Little Bird hopped excitedly onto Pei Du’s chest, pressing his wings together in preparation for another earnest prayer.

Shen Jiujiu was just about to bow his head, eyes closed, when Pei Du—who always slept with rigid propriety—suddenly rolled onto his side. Little Bird lost his footing and slid away with a slither, tumbling into a feathered ball on the sheets.

Shen Jiujiu: “?”

Undeterred, Little Bird leaped back onto Pei Du’s body. Even if Benefactor fancied sleeping on his side tonight, the bird had angles and methods aplenty for his devotions.

But no sooner had Shen Jiujiu steadied himself on Pei Du’s arm, wings not yet raised, than Pei Du twisted and turned, flattening out once more.

Shen Jiujiu: “…”

Shen Jiujiu fell silent and hopped directly onto Pei Du’s chest. He lifted his wings, poised to continue his worshipful pose.

Pei Du rolled onto his side again—and suddenly felt a scorching gaze land on his face.

Lord Pei, eyes squeezed shut, paused. Then he shifted back to his usual proper supine position, hands folded neatly over his stomach.

Shen Jiujiu had scrambled to a high perch at the headboard at some point, looming over Pei Du with a piercing stare.

Little Bird regarded the human with utmost seriousness.

No.

Something was off with Benefactor tonight.

Very—off!