"What about me?" the Ubume Bird asked, hugging a bamboo slip and pointing to herself, unsure of where to go, "Should I avoid the visitor?"
"It would be best if you do," he replied, spreading his hands and revealing a penholder made from her leg bone in his palm.
"Oh," the Ubume Bird pouted, clearly reluctant. "I've just come out..."
"There will be plenty of opportunities later, dear." The Ubume Bird was startled by his words, her lotus face turning from creamy white to a deep red. She had seen all manners of grand spectacles when she roamed the world in her skin, wreaking havoc, but now faced with revealing her true self, she was suddenly overwhelmed with embarrassment. With a flick of her body, she vanished back into her bones.
Lin Suqing saw her reaction and only then realized his own words had been inappropriate. He too was taken aback, chastising himself for speaking too carelessly.
