Lou Yuzhu considered herself a very open-minded caregiver. If Tao Tao liked those risqué, provocative outfits, it wasn't as though she couldn't wear them—just not inappropriately or in the wrong situations.
She put the questionable piece of lingerie back where it belonged, then gently led Tao Tao back to the living room. Sitting her down, Lou Yuzhu began teaching her how to wear a bra properly, "You can pick whatever style you like when you get older. I'll buy it for you. But you've only just come of age, so don't get too curious about adult stuff yet."
She guided Tao Tao's hands, helping her reach behind to fasten the bra's hooks. It took several tries before it finally clicked into place.
The size Lou Yuzhu had guessed turned out to be spot on—it fit perfectly, both in band and cup size.
Tao Tao, however, looked extremely uncomfortable. Wearing the bra made her feel like she'd been sealed under some kind of magical restraint, and she dared not move a muscle.
Holding back her laughter, Lou Yuzhu rummaged through the shopping bags and pulled out a pair of safety shorts. She patiently explained, "Whenever you wear skirts, make sure to wear these. If you're on the bus or the subway, short skirts can be risky, but these will keep you much safer."
She sounded like a fussy big sister, going on and on with advice. But midway through her monologue, she paused, her expression freezing as she realized something.
"…Do you even understand what I'm saying?"
The girl's eyes were filled with confusion, her gaze blank and helpless. She simply stared at her owner, muttering, "Where… where am I going…"
Tao Tao couldn't understand most of what Lou Yuzhu was saying, but she seemed to pick up on the fact that her owner was teaching her how to dress. Even though she didn't understand why clothes needed to be worn layer upon layer, she had an unsettling feeling that Lou Yuzhu might be planning to send her away.
For all her fiery temper, Tao Tao rarely looked this timid.
Lou Yuzhu suddenly remembered when Tao Tao was just a chick. Back then, her feathers hadn't even fully grown in, and she was afraid of everything. She wouldn't even play with the swing in her birdcage, needing days to muster the courage to approach it.
Who knew how she'd adapt to school…
"You're not going anywhere. You're just going to school," Lou Yuzhu reassured her. She took Tao Tao's hand and used her finger to write the characters for 'school' on her palm. "I'll pick you up every afternoon, and you can stay home on weekends. But from Monday to Friday, you'll have to attend classes. There will be lots of other parrot people there, and you can make many new friends."
As she spoke, Lou Yuzhu's mind was suddenly filled with images from short videos she'd seen online—troublemaking teenagers, swearing like sailors and behaving like delinquents.
What if Tao Tao picked up bad habits at school? What if she came home every day talking back to her and swearing? Lou Yuzhu would be devastated.
To stave off any resistance to the idea of school, Lou Yuzhu quickly listed all the benefits of education. "If you study hard and become smarter and more capable, you'll be able to earn lots of money. Once you achieve financial freedom, you can buy anything you want. You'll have the money to hire all the male models you could dream of. The more financially independent you are, the happier you'll be."
Tao Tao tilted her head, catching on to two particular words: "Male… models…"
Lou Yuzhu coughed awkwardly. "Male models are, um… they're like…"
She couldn't quite put it into words, so she pulled up some pictures on her phone—photos of muscular men with sculpted abs—and showed them to Tao Tao. "Like these. But there are other types too: refined scoundrels, classy bad boys, or cute puppy types."
Tao Tao, who had been looking at her owner with wide, bright eyes, visibly deflated when she saw the pictures. Her expression fell as if she'd seen something truly repulsive, and she pouted in disdain.
Lou Yuzhu stared at her, speechless. Maybe Fu Ye was right—homosexuality among birds was common in the animal kingdom. What if Tao Tao was into women instead?
"Do you like pretty ladies?" she asked, glancing sideways at Tao Tao. "Well, then you have even more reason to study hard. Pretty ladies like smart and accomplished people. If you can't read or don't have any culture, how will you attract a pretty lady?"
Tao Tao nodded, seemingly understanding some of what was being said. She looked at Lou Yuzhu, then suddenly reached out and pressed the power button on her phone. The screen went black, and Tao Tao sat there with a silly grin on her face, her cheeks faintly red.
Lou Yuzhu was baffled. She tilted her head to glance at her phone, now darkened. The black screen reflected her own face back at her.
Tao Tao leaned on the table, pointing at the reflection of her owner's face in the screen. She stammered softly, "Li…like… pretty lady."
Lou Yuzhu's ears burned, but she tried to maintain her composure. "Thank you."
Parrots, by nature, were social creatures. They loved the company of others and thrived in lively environments. Clearly, Lou Yuzhu had been overthinking things. Once Tao Tao understood that she'd still be able to come home every day after school, she happily accepted the idea of going.
In fact, Tao Tao seemed to believe that going to school, learning, and earning money would make her more appealing to her owner. She wasn't just not resistant to the idea—she was excited and full of anticipation.
Having been raised solely by Lou Yuzhu since the moment she hatched, Tao Tao had never interacted with her own kind before. Now, she was curious about everything.
Lou Yuzhu had initially imagined Tao Tao throwing tantrums and refusing to go to school, but the bird's enthusiastic reaction left her at a loss for words.
Could Fu Ye be right? Once Tao Tao made new friends, would she stop seeing her owner as the center of her world?
After all, many parrots that were raised alone by their owners often developed romantic attachments to them. But when owners raised two parrots together, it significantly reduced the chances of such things happening.
Lou Yuzhu could already picture it—two months from now, Tao Tao would come home with a new little bird in tow, chirping about her new best friend'.
With a slight sigh of exasperation, Lou Yuzhu headed to the bathroom for a shower. Afterward, she checked her phone to coordinate with Fu Ye about Tao Tao's school start date.
Meanwhile, Tao Tao was standing in front of the mirror, admiring herself as she tried on the new clothes they'd bought earlier. She had tried every single piece, and now she was experimenting with Lou Yuzhu's lipstick, mimicking her owner's makeup application by smearing the bright red color on her lips.
"Come here," Lou Yuzhu called, holding a pen and some paper. "I'll teach you how to write your name."
The girl obediently walked over to the desk and sat down next to her.
Lou Yuzhu reached out with her long arm and wrapped it around Tao Tao, guiding her right hand to hold the pen properly. The way she leaned in to guide Tao Tao's hand meant that the girl was practically nestled in her arms, her warm scent filling Tao Tao's senses.
"Tomorrow's the weekend, and I'm going out with a friend to see a play. I'll be back in the evening. Can you stay home by yourself during the day? Or should I find another bird to keep you company?" Lou Yuzhu asked, slightly worried that Tao Tao might sulk if left alone.
They hadn't been apart like this before. Lou Yuzhu usually came home by 6 p.m., and they rarely spent time apart past nightfall.
Whenever Tao Tao listened to Lou Yuzhu talk, her hands would stop moving as she concentrated on every word.
Her gaze shifted from the scratch paper to her owner. "Do you… care about Tao Tao?"
Lou Yuzhu hesitated for a moment but finally responded, "Of course I care about you."
She had raised Tao Tao with her own two hands, nurturing her from a bare, featherless chick into a fully grown bird. Tao Tao was her source of comfort and her emotional anchor. How could she not care?
Tao Tao, however, frowned and said firmly, "Don't go. Don't go… no play."
She didn't know what a "play" was, but she knew that her owner was going out to meet someone else.
When Lou Yuzhu didn't immediately reply, Tao Tao's shoulders slumped. She muttered dejectedly, "You don't care about Tao Tao. Don't ask!"
She swatted Lou Yuzhu's hand away and used the pen to ruin the paper, scratching through the names she'd been writing until the page was shredded. Then she crumpled it into a ball and threw it on the floor.
Lou Yuzhu sighed, a hint of exasperation in her tone. "Didn't I just say I care about you? If you're bored, I'll get you a bird companion to play with. You can't keep getting mad like this all the time. If you act like this at school, who's going to want to be your friend?"
When Tao Tao was younger, she was obedient and sweet. She'd dance for milk, press against her owner and chirp happily, and even feel guilty if she accidentally bit too hard. But now her temper had grown worse with age. She was quick to anger, rarely listened, and constantly acted out.
Her words seemed to provoke Tao Tao even more.
"Not true! School… not…" Tao Tao grew agitated, struggling to express herself. She stammered, her words halting and disjointed. "I don't want new friends. Pretty lady like… you said like… that's why I go. Not… not friends!"
It was because Lou Yuzhu had once said that pretty ladies liked intelligent, well-educated people. Tao Tao wanted to go to school to become someone her owner would like. In her eyes, Lou Yuzhu was the pretty lady'.
She didn't care about making friends or meeting new people at school.
But now, she felt that her owner didn't care about her. Lou Yuzhu was going out to meet someone else, to watch a play with someone else. She even said Tao Tao had a bad temper. Tears silently rolled down Tao Tao's cheeks as she rubbed at her eyes with her palms.
She turned and ran to the kitchen, opening the fridge and rummaging around inside.
Lou Yuzhu followed her, watching as Tao Tao pulled out a stash of millet, freeze-dried fruits, apples, and strawberries, clutching them all in her arms. Tao Tao sniffled, her sobs soft but pitiful.
"What are you doing?" Lou Yuzhu asked.
Tao Tao, still sniffling, glared at her through her tears. "I'm leaving you!"
Lou Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh. "You're running away from home and taking everything in my fridge with you?"
Tao Tao was holding an armful of food and crying so hard her shoulders shook. The sight was both ridiculous and a little heart-wrenching.
Lou Yuzhu walked closer, her laughter fading as she noticed the tears streaming down Tao Tao's cheeks. Her heart ached slightly at the sight, and her voice softened as she leaned in. "Are you really that upset? I didn't even say anything bad."
Tao Tao ignored her, turning her back to her owner. As she turned, a box of strawberries fell to the ground. She quickly bent down to pick it up, stuffing it back into her pile of food. She clutched everything tightly, refusing to say a word.
"Don't be like this," Lou Yuzhu said gently. Her tone became even softer as she stood behind Tao Tao. "Do you want a hug?"