The little parrot knew it couldn't eat chocolate. It had pulled out all the fruits and fresh vegetables from the fridge, holding its little arms full, leaving the box of chocolates untouched in the fridge.
Whenever it got upset, it would turn its back to its owner and puff up its feathers. Even after transforming into human form, it couldn't get rid of this habit. Its entire demeanor was sulky, with reddened nose and eyes, and lips pouting downward.
If it weren't nighttime, and if Tao Tao didn't have excellent bird ethics that forbade disturbing the neighbors, it might have burst into loud sobs.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you giving me the silent treatment?" Lou Yuzhu tugged at her new dress.
The dress was one they had bought earlier in the day at the mall. Tao Tao had tried on several, but this was the only one it was reluctant to take off. The dress resembled a Monet-inspired floral painting.
From behind, Lou Yuzhu hugged the girl, stroking the top of her head. She couldn't help but marvel. This was truly her little bird—fair-skinned, with round cheeks, shapely legs, and soft, plump flesh.
"I'll come back early tomorrow, and I'll make sure to spend time playing games with you, okay?" Lou Yuzhu started putting the food back into the fridge, speaking thoughtfully.
"In the future, Tao Tao will also make new friends. Your life won't only revolve around me. You'll be busy with studying, socializing… and once you start using electronics, who knows? You might even enjoy playing games, binge watching dramas, going on dates with friends, dancing, playing badminton, hiking, or going to the beach. There's so much to experience in life. I've always felt that a world focused only on romance is immature. You should learn to love yourself and embrace life first."
Suddenly, a small whirlwind stirred in the kitchen. The sound of wind flapping filled Lou Yuzhu's ears, and her long hair was blown into the air.
A pair of bright yellow wings, as golden as acacia blossoms, unfolded. When fully extended, each side spanned a meter, looking vibrant, healthy, and full of strength.
Tao Tao crossed its wings in front of its chest and wrapped them around its snow-white shoulders. It grasped a handful of its feathers, its little face full of distress. "Why… do I have to play badminton?"
This was the second time Lou Yuzhu had seen those wings. Her pupils dilated slightly, so shocked that she didn't even notice the nonsensical question Tao Tao had just asked.
Birds came in many colors, a gift from nature. But beneath the thick, golden feathers of these wings was a faint layer of blue, so stunning it took her breath away.
She couldn't help herself and reached out, tracing the shape of the feathers with her fingertips. Pressing lightly, she could even feel the outline of the wing bones underneath.
"Mmph…" Tao Tao let out a muffled sound and quickly retracted its wings, dashing back to its room in a series of quick steps.
Lou Yuzhu stood frozen. "… …"
She suddenly remembered what Fu Ye had mentioned before: bird mating involved something called back stepping. Their backs and the base of their wings were extremely sensitive, and touching them recklessly was a definite no-go.
When Lou Yuzhu returned to the bedroom, Tao Tao was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a little parrot was perched on its stand, chirping "chuwu chuwu" and swaying its tail back and forth, its mood seemingly lifted.
Was it that happy? Singing and dancing as if it had completely forgotten about the tantrum from ten minutes ago.
Lou Yuzhu picked up the Monet-style dress that had been discarded on the floor. After tidying up, she washed the newly bought clothes and hung them out on the balcony. Then, she filmed a video of Tao Tao dancing and sent it to Fu Ye.
[Look at it! Jumping and dancing around, just from me brushing its feathers. It's too funny!]
Fu Ye replied: [Tomorrow, try going a whole day without touching it. Let's see if it gets so angry it faints.]
Lou Yuzhu: [You're so mean. You're not a mother; you're an evil stepmother.]
Such an adorable little animal—it always made people want to pinch it hard.
To resist this urge, Lou Yuzhu usually found something else to distract herself. Tao Tao's small body couldn't handle a pinch, and thinking about pinching it in its human form just felt… odd.
Lying on her bed, her thoughts wandered to Tao Tao's shapely legs—thick thighs, slim calves, and round, plump proportions. It didn't seem to fit the word cute', but for some reason, it made her want to pinch them even more…
She fanned her flushed face with her hand, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone. She came across an old photo in her album of Tao Tao shortly after it had hatched: bald all over, its eyes still unopened, and no larger than a dumpling.
A fluffy little bird poked its head over, standing on the edge of the phone frame with its tiny claws. It bent its body to hang upside down, staring at the screen. Upon seeing the photo, its whole feathery body shuddered.
It immediately hopped down and marched across Lou Yuzhu's arm, pressing its eyes close to the screen. After a careful look at the ugly picture, it squawked in protest: "Chuwu-chuwu, chirp chirp chirp! Gah!"
It seemed to be asking, Is that really me? How could I have looked that ugly?!
Lou Yuzhu swiped the screen, revealing another photo. This time, the little bird had grown a few feathers, but most of its body was still bald. It looked as if it had fallen into a cup of water—its whole body was wet, its beak wide open, begging for food. Even through the screen, one could practically smell the fishy odor.
Tao Tao tilted its head back, its neck craning upward. It was so agitated that its chirps became unintelligible: "Gah gah gah!"
There was an even uglier picture. How could this exist?!
Lou Yuzhu was laughing so hard she rolled over on the bed. She decided to send the two photos to Fu Ye.
Just as her thumb hovered over the screen to open WeChat, Tao Tao bit down on her finger and tried to push it away. Its beak felt like a sturdy little nut—hard but not painful.
It straightened its body and cupped the phone in its claws, looking like it was going to delete the photos itself.
The little parrot was so flustered that it hopped around on the bed, bouncing on its tiny feet.
Lou Yuzhu's face was lit up with laughter. Could a bird actually have a sense of shame?
She teased it further. "Sing me a song and show me a dance. Then I won't send them out."
To help it out, she started humming, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands…"
Tao Tao didn't want to sing, but it couldn't resist the muscle memory it had been trained into. Hearing the familiar tune, its small body instinctively squatted down in rhythm, stretching out its legs with each beat. Up, down, up, down, it squatted while humming along.
Lou Yuzhu had recorded yet another series of videos. Her photo album was overflowing with pictures and videos of Tao Tao—far more than she had of herself.
"My baby is too cute," she murmured, holding the little parrot in her hands. She let the bird lie on the back of her hand and nuzzled her nose against its fluffy chest. "Mama's going to kiss you bald! Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!"
Realizing her uncontrollable actions, Tao Tao appeared a little embarrassed. It pushed against Lou Yuzhu's face with its tiny claws, trying to block her kisses.
But its tiny claws, thinner than cotton swabs, had no real strength. Lou Yuzhu always held it so gently, worried she might accidentally hurt it.
Unable to resist, Tao Tao ultimately failed to escape its fate of being kissed. Its chest feathers were left ruffled and messy from the affection.
After finishing her 'attack', Lou Yuzhu gently placed Tao Tao into the blankets, tucking it in. She then sent those two photos along with a newly recorded video of Tao Tao singing to Fu Ye.
[Fu, next time you come to my house, if it bites you, just show it these photos. Embarrassed, it won't dare bite you again.]
Fu Ye: [Cute little chick, Auntie sends kisses (flying kiss emoji).]
Lou Yuzhu was happily chatting with Fu Ye when a friend request notification popped up.
The username noted a single name: [Zhen Zhou].
The cheerful expression on Lou Yuzhu's face froze the moment she saw those two characters. Her mood darkened as her expression turned sour, but she still clicked [Accept].
[What do you want this late? Work matters should be discussed during working hours.] She sent this message without a shred of courtesy.
Zhen Zhou: [Sister Lou, I don't use my phone during work hours. I only use it after work. (sad emoji).]
Lou Yuzhu almost blacked out from rage. Her chest felt tight, and she immediately sent a screenshot of the conversation to Fu Ye, venting her frustration.
[Is she insane or what?!]
Fu Ye: [Didn't you say she's a parrot-person? Most parrot-people are pretty simple-minded. They usually can't handle high-level positions and don't understand social cues. She probably doesn't even realize she's stepping on your toes. The boss gave her the job, so she's just doing it. This is more of a Lu Ling issue. I wanted to tell you about it before, but you were too upset, so I decided to hold off.]
Sometimes, when a friend is venting, they simply want to release their emotions and aren't looking for life lessons. Fu Ye had been trying to comfort Lou Yuzhu and decided to leave the serious talk for another time.
Still, Lou Yuzhu was unhappy: [So when I go back to work on Monday, she's just going to drive me insane? Parrots are just copycats!]
Fu Ye: [Hahaha, you'll figure it out when you spend more time with her. Most parrot-people have this… uh, cheeky trait. If you really can't deal with her, just have your partner work with her alone. Find an excuse to bow out.]
It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was the best option for now. Lou Yuzhu was still bound by her company contract and couldn't just quit on a whim.
According to Fu Ye, parrot-people were straightforward by nature. Did Zhen Zhou even understand the relationship between her and Lu Ling? Maybe Zhen Zhou thought they were dating, but in Lu Ling's eyes, they were just having fun?
If Lu Ling truly cared about her, he wouldn't flirt with her so openly in front of others. That kind of disrespectful behavior was like saying, "Look, this is my pet. Isn't it great?"
Treating her like a pet to show off wasn't how one should treat a girlfriend.
The hostility Lou Yuzhu felt toward Zhen Zhou dissipated, leaving her feeling powerless, like punching a cloud of cotton.
To ease the tension, she sent Zhen Zhou a Tao Tao meme GIF to lighten the mood. Then, without waiting for a reply, she turned off the lights and went to bed, burying herself under the covers.
In the dark, she reached out to find Tao Tao, pulling it over to sleep beside her pillow.
Perhaps because she had a date with Dr. Zhuo tomorrow, Lou Yuzhu had trouble falling asleep—a rare occurrence. She had a bit of a crush on him, which made her naturally anticipate tomorrow's meeting. At the same time, she worried about how to keep Tao Tao calm while she was away.
She tossed and turned, her thoughts running wild, before finally drifting off in the early hours of the morning.
As the night deepened, Lou Yuzhu vaguely felt a soft, feathery sensation brushing against her face. She didn't move, worried she might accidentally crush the little bird. She simply brushed her hand across her face and continued to sleep.
But the warm sensation lingered, accompanied by the sound of wings flapping, growing louder and louder.
In her half-asleep state, Lou Yuzhu heard soft, weak murmurs, tinged with discomfort.
"Uncomfortable…"
The girl's forehead rested against her neck and shoulder. Her outstretched wings arched slightly, sometimes spreading wide, sometimes folding in. She whimpered pitifully, "Uncomfortable… My feathers… feel uncomfortable…"
Her body seemed feverish, hot to the touch. Her back and wings were especially restless. She grabbed Lou Yuzhu's hand, guiding it toward her feathers.
Half-awake, Lou Yuzhu traced the outline of the wings, her fingers gliding along the girl's shoulder blades. She lightly scratched at the base of the feathers where they grew, her hoarse voice muttering in complaint:
"Do you think I'm some kind of tool?"