After Tao Tao's heartfelt accusation, Lou Yuzhu suddenly felt like she had unwittingly become the villain in a melodrama—a heartless 'scumbag' of sorts.
She began listing off all the good things she had done for Tao Tao, desperate to shake off the guilt that had settled over her. "I go to work every day to earn money to buy you millet, toys, snacks. I brush your feathers, spend time playing games with you, and even teach you how to talk and sing. I like you so, so much, and you still think I don't? Cough, cough… Honestly, I'm more heartbroken than you are!"
Her words were full of righteous indignation as she tried to argue her case. She even thought about patting Tao Tao on the back to comfort her, but her hand hesitated. The smooth, tender sensation of Tao Tao's skin made her hand retreat awkwardly.
Lou Yuzhu found herself in a dilemma, her hand frozen in midair. Finally, in the dark, she reached out and, feeling her way along Tao Tao's silhouette, landed on her tear-streaked face. She gently wiped away the tears. "Did you always cry this much in the past?"
She knew Tao Tao often threw small tantrums—pouting when she was upset, pecking at her keyboard, and nibbling on her hands. Most of the time, these outbursts were caused by a lack of attention. But Lou Yuzhu hadn't realized how sensitive and prone to tears Tao Tao really was.
Tao Tao didn't fully understand Lou Yuzhu's explanation. She could catch bits and pieces of it, but something felt off. The kind of 'like' she was talking about seemed different from the 'like' Tao Tao was yearning for.
Still unable to articulate her feelings clearly, Tao Tao followed her instincts, craving her owner's affection.
"Chirp chirp… goo chirp…" Tao Tao murmured softly, her words jumbled and endless, as if she had too much to say.
Lou Yuzhu had no idea what she was trying to communicate. She simply patted Tao Tao lightly through the blanket, coaxing her with a sweet, soothing tone: "Tao Tao is a good girl. Time to sleep now. Early to bed and early to rise is good for your health."
Before she could even finish her sentence, the warm body next to her snuggled closer. Tao Tao's breath brushed against her shoulder as she buried her face deep into Lou Yuzhu's neck.
At least it was finally quiet. Lou Yuzhu let out a long sigh, wondering how long it would take her to fully adjust to this new lifestyle.
She only managed to drift off in the latter half of the night, falling into a light, restless sleep.
By the time she woke up, it was almost noon. Lou Yuzhu was jolted awake by the sharp sound of her phone ringing.
Still half-asleep, she fumbled for her phone and, relying on muscle memory, swiped to answer the call. Li Hongwen's confused voice came through the line.
"Xiao Yu, are you feeling unwell? You didn't request leave, and you didn't come to the station. This isn't like you at all."
In all her years at the company, Lou Yuzhu had never been late or taken a single sick day, so her absence was indeed unusual.
The groggy woman immediately snapped to attention, her eyes clearing. "I'll be there right away!"
She scrambled out of bed, rushing to wash up. The workday had started at ten, and it was already close to twelve, and she hadn't even left the house.
Normally, it was Tao Tao who woke her up every morning, always right on time. But today… was it because she had slept too deeply, or because Tao Tao hadn't called her?
As she brushed her teeth, she glanced around the bedroom, searching for the girl. After scanning the room, she finally found her—curled up beneath the blankets, an apple-green parrot sprawled on its back, fast asleep in a completely unrestrained pose.
The two of them looked as if they had stayed up all night doing something mischievous and were now collectively exhausted.
Lou Yuzhu couldn't resist reaching out a finger to scratch the fluffy little chest. She ran her finger up and down, stroking the parrot's throat and rubbing circles on its soft little belly through the feathers.
Ahhh! She's so cute! I'm going to die of cuteness overload!
She scooped up the round, chubby bird, her fingers gently squeezing and kneading as she showered Tao Tao with affection. She even used her fingertip to lightly flick the tiny, pale brown claws.
When Tao Tao finally stirred awake, Lou Yuzhu brought her nose close to the bird's tiny body, rubbing against her feathers. "Let mommy give you a kiss, just one kiss! Tao Tao, how can you even be so cute while sleeping?!"
The parrot, now thoroughly disturbed, flipped herself upright and switched to a standing position. Her neck twisted backward as she tucked her head under her wing to resume her nap. Her small chest rose and fell rhythmically, and she even let out a soft, snoring sound.
Lou Yuzhu was so overwhelmed by the adorable sight that she felt like she might faint. She quickly grabbed her phone and recorded the scene, squealing internally. So cute! So cute! I want to squeeze her so bad!
She snapped a few photos of Tao Tao's sleeping face before running back to the bathroom to finish her morning routine. There wasn't even time for breakfast. She double-checked the windows and doors, refilled the birdcage's food bowl, and threw on some makeup before rushing out the door to head to work.
While waiting at a red light on the way, she did what she always did: posted photos of Tao Tao on her social media.
[For those without parrots: farewell forever.]
Lou Yuzhu was a die-hard bird lover. She couldn't imagine ever having a cat in her life. The mere thought of a cat eating Tao Tao was enough to make her cry.
Every time her aunt tried to set her up with a potential match, Lou Yuzhu made one thing clear: her future partner must not own a cat, and they absolutely couldn't consider getting one after marriage.
Her eyes lingered on the photos of Tao Tao in her feed. Now that she thought about it, Tao Tao could transform into a stunning beauty. Would Tao Tao like cats?
Fortunately, there wasn't much going on at the station that day. It was Lou Yuzhu's first time being so late to work, but it didn't cause any real problems. If it had, Li Hongwen wouldn't have waited two hours before calling her to check in.
"Lou jie," the receptionist at the front desk called out cheerfully as Lou Yuzhu walked in, "President Lu is waiting for you in her office. She said there's some work-related matter to discuss with you."
Lou Yuzhu had just clocked in when she heard the name "President Lu," and her face instantly fell. Even the makeup she had carefully applied couldn't mask the displeasure on her expression.
She already knew why she was being called in at this particular time. What puzzled her was why the company's highest management would personally handle a matter like this. Normally, job reassignments were handled by mid-level managers—there was no need for the big boss to step in.
Just who is this new hire that they deserve such special treatment?
Lou Yuzhu forced a smile and nodded politely. "Got it, thanks."
After putting her bag down, she stopped by the break room to pour herself some water before heading to the fourteenth floor via the elevator.
In her four years at the company, this was only the second time she had been to this floor. She wasn't familiar with the layout, so she had to wander down the hallway a bit before finally locating President Lu's office.
She was just about to knock when she heard a coy, flirtatious voice from inside—its tone was saccharine enough to make her cringe.
"President Lu, I don't like white flowers. I want pink ones~"
"Tonight, I'll pick you up. I have a whole garden of flowers at home. I'll have them all replaced with pink ones for you."
"President Lu, you're so good to me."
"I can be even better…"
The voices—distinctly feminine—continued their bold exchange. The content was so outrageous that Lou Yuzhu froze in place, struggling to maintain her expression.
What the hell? Is this really happening? Since when are same-sex relationships this common? And my boss, President Lu… she's gay? And with a subordinate?!
Lou Yuzhu instinctively turned to leave, thinking she could come back later.
But before she could take a step, a calm, authoritative voice came from inside the office, as if President Lu had spotted her through the blinds.
"Come in."
Lou Yuzhu stopped in her tracks. Bracing herself, she opened the door and stepped inside. "President Lu."
Her gaze immediately fell on the woman who had been speaking in such a coquettish tone just moments earlier.
The woman had wavy hair, faintly dusted with a blue powder that immediately caught Lou Yuzhu's attention. Her face was strikingly beautiful and matched the photo that Li Hongwen had sent her earlier. She was sitting on the sofa with a playful, knowing smile, her entire demeanor exuding charm.
Lou Yuzhu felt her heart sink to the bottom of a lake. Her hands and feet grew cold as realization dawned—this was why the company had decided to rearrange positions.
President Lu, who was thirty-four years old, was anything but young. She exuded a mature elegance, with shoulder-length hair styled into soft curls. She wore a deep V-neck black bodycon dress that revealed just the right amount of skin—sexy and bold without crossing into vulgarity. Her cold, striking beauty was impossible to ignore.
"Xiao Yu," President Lu began without preamble, gesturing casually to the young woman beside her. "Let me introduce someone to you. This is Zhen Zhou. Over the next couple of days, you'll help her transition into the role and hand over your current responsibilities. Starting next month, you'll be transferred to the Marriage Cases program. I believe you're the perfect fit for that role—more suited than anyone else at the station."
There was no room for negotiation. It wasn't even framed as a discussion. This was a direct order, leaving no possibility for rejection.
Lou Yuzhu's new assignment was a legal program centered on marriage disputes—infidelity, domestic violence, crimes of passion. It was a difficult show to host, and its ratings had been in a dire state for a long time.
A surge of dissatisfaction rose in Lou Yuzhu's chest as she glanced at Zhen Zhou, the college student who was about to start her internship at the station.
The young woman was holding a rose with several blooms, delicately plucking the petals one by one and placing them into her mouth. When she noticed Lou Yuzhu looking, she mimicked President Lu's earlier tone.
"Hmm, more suited than anyone else at the station."
Her imitation was so spot-on that Lou Yuzhu almost didn't notice the familiarity of her behavior at first. Then it hit her—normal people don't eat rose petals.
Lou Yuzhu was now almost certain that Zhen Zhou wasn't just a regular person. She had to be a parrot person.
The thought of her Tao Tao one day becoming an overindulged, coquettish girl like this—so spoiled and manipulative—made Lou Yuzhu clench her fists tightly.
"Whatever you say, President Lu," Lou Yuzhu said with a polite smile, her tone calm and measured.
The next fifteen minutes were pure torture. President Lu gave her detailed instructions on how to train and guide the 'new hire', while Zhen Zhou sat beside her, acting like a parroted echo. Whenever President Lu said something she liked, Zhen Zhou would repeat it verbatim, her voice dripping with mockery.
By the time work ended, Lou Yuzhu was mentally and emotionally drained. Instead of going straight home, she headed to a bar she frequented and sent Fu Ye her location.
While waiting for Fu Ye, she downed several drinks, and by the time her friend arrived, she could no longer hold back her emotions. Tears streamed down her face as she began to vent.
"You have no idea what my boss is like! She kept telling me to be patient, to tolerate this intern because she's young and inexperienced. What does she mean by that? I didn't even do anything to her! And that intern is even worse! She copies my boss's attitude and acts all high and mighty, ordering me around!"
Back when Lou Yuzhu first started at the station, she had worked her way up slowly, painstakingly learning every detail of her craft. Her current reputation and status as a household name had been hard-earned, built on years of effort.
To suddenly be reassigned—not because of any fault of her own, but simply to make way for her boss's lover—was a bitter pill to swallow.
Fu Ye, who had already heard the full story over WeChat, patted her on the back and joined her in venting. "What kind of trash boss is that? Ugh, I spit on her! She's so disgusting!"
Lou Yuzhu clung to Fu Ye, sobbing uncontrollably. "Ah Fu, they're all bullying me. Go find a stray cat for me so I can scratch their faces and eat that horrible woman alive!"
The two of them cursed and ranted for hours, not leaving the bar until nearly ten at night.
By then, Lou Yuzhu was thoroughly drunk, leaning heavily on Fu Ye. She alternated between crying and laughing, her eyes swollen from all the tears.
Fu Ye propped her up as they waited for a ride home, her expression complicated. She seemed to hesitate, guilt and regret flickering in her eyes. "I'm sorry…"
She helped Lou Yuzhu all the way to her apartment door.
While she was digging through Lou Yuzhu's bag for the keys, the door opened from the inside.
Standing there was a girl wearing a loose white T-shirt, barefoot. The moment she saw Fu Ye, her demeanor changed instantly. Her feathers metaphorically ruffled, and her face was filled with hostility.
Fu Ye froze, feeling a bit awkward. She decided not to enter. "Xiao Yu, we're home. Wake up…"
Lou Yuzhu staggered inside, her voice thick with drunkenness, and waved goodbye to Fu Ye. "Bye bye."
She shut the door behind her, and the apartment fell silent.
When she turned to see Tao Tao standing quietly nearby, the unstable emotions she had managed to hold back all evening suddenly surged to the surface again. Grabbing Tao Tao's wrist, Lou Yuzhu started to vent her frustrations like a stormy child.
"You can't be like this! I don't want this Tao Tao! Turn back! I want the other Tao Tao!"
She gestured with her hands, making a circular motion to show the size of her parrot form. "I want that Tao Tao!"
Her thoughts were a mess, tangled with the events of the day. The image of Zhen Zhou, smugly parroting her boss's commands, made Lou Yuzhu seethe with rage. These 'bad birds', these arrogant parrot-people—how dare they?!
She grabbed at Tao Tao's clothes, tugging at them angrily. "Turn back! You can't wear my clothes! You're not allowed to wear clothes!"
Tao Tao, confused and at a loss for what to do, tilted her head and watched as her drunk owner unraveled. When her T-shirt was finally pulled off, Tao Tao imitated what she had seen Lou Yuzhu do in the bathroom before—crossing her arms over her chest to 'cover' herself.
Seeing Tao Tao mimic her movements so earnestly only made Lou Yuzhu angrier. She was so furious that her voice cracked as she shouted, "If you start acting coquettish like that woman, I'll feed you to a cat! Do you even know what acting coquettish means?!"
Lou Yuzhu grabbed Tao Tao's arms, flailing them dramatically, and mimicked the tone of her boss's lover: "Oh, President Lu~ I don't want to eat white flowers; I want pink ones instead~"
Tao Tao didn't understand the meaning behind the words. She simply giggled at Lou Yuzhu's exaggerated antics, tilting her head and flashing a silly, innocent smile.
The sight of Tao Tao's clueless laughter nearly made Lou Yuzhu explode on the spot. She stomped her foot, pointing at her. "What are you laughing at?! I'm asking you—what's so funny?!"
Determined to get an answer, she demanded it over and over again, her drunken steps unsteady as she moved closer to Tao Tao.
Before she could lash out again, Tao Tao suddenly wrapped her arms around her, gently stroking her back. In a hesitant, clumsy voice, she whispered, "Cute… Yuyu is cute…"
The simple words struck a chord deep in Lou Yuzhu's heart. Her nose stung as tears threatened to fall. She was reminded of why she had started raising Tao Tao in the first place—she had wanted a pet that could provide her with emotional comfort, a companion to ease her loneliness.
Tao Tao didn't understand anything. Even Lou Yuzhu's unreasonable drunken tantrum was met with unconditional acceptance.
But as Tao Tao's soft body pressed closer, Lou Yuzhu stiffened. The curve of her figure was impossible to ignore. Flustered, Lou Yuzhu picked up the discarded T-shirt and slipped it back onto Tao Tao, carefully dressing her.
"I was going to buy you some underwear, but I forgot. I'll get some tomorrow…" Lou Yuzhu mumbled.
The stress of the day's events, combined with her outburst at Tao Tao, left her feeling unbearably guilty. Her words were tinged with the unmistakable sound of someone holding back tears.
Exhausted, she wanted nothing more than to hold the familiar little parrot form of Tao Tao and figure out a way to make her change back. But before she could think further, a shadow fell across her, and a soft, cool touch pressed against her lips.
The sensation of Tao Tao's lips brushing against hers was gentle but insistent, lingering as her lips nibbled lightly at Lou Yuzhu's.
"Mm…" Lou Yuzhu let out a muffled sound, her body weak from the alcohol. Her hands rested limply on Tao Tao's shoulders, more like an embrace than an attempt to push her away. "Tao Tao, your lips are so soft… so comfortable… But you—you're a girl…"
Even with her closest friend Fu Ye, Lou Yuzhu had never kissed anyone like this.
Feeling her head spin, Lou Yuzhu cupped Tao Tao's face in her hands, lifting it slightly to examine her closely. At this distance, she could see every detail—the tiny, delicate hairs on Tao Tao's skin, the innocence in her wide, watery eyes, and the faint flush on her cheeks.
This same girl, who had just kissed her lips, stared back at her with a pure, guileless expression, free of any ulterior motives.
Tao Tao seemed carefree, but Lou Yuzhu wasn't. She couldn't stop herself from questioning her own feelings. Kissing a woman—did that mean she wasn't straight anymore?
Her gaze unconsciously lingered on Tao Tao's lips. They were soft and full, tinged with a faint peachy hue. Her thumb brushed against the plush curve of Tao Tao's bottom lip as she murmured, "What are you thinking about, Tao Tao? What does kissing mean to you? Does it… feel good for you too?"