Since she came back, the little parrot seemed downcast, not nearly as lively as she had appeared during the day on the surveillance footage.
In the short time it took for her to shower, another pile of feathers had fallen off, and the fluffy body had been pecked into a chaotic mess.
Lou Yuzhu brought over a bowl of purified water and placed it on the table. She then opened the birdcage and gently held Tao Tao in her hands. "What happened to you? Weren't you the one who loved grooming your feathers the most?"
She used her thumb to rub the parrot's neck, her fingers gathering a handful of loose feathers. Placing Tao Tao into the palm-sized bowl, she prepared to give her a bath.
Once the water soaked Tao Tao's body, her feathers became wet and clumped together in sticky patches.
Only then did Lou Yuzhu notice the large patches of red rashes on Tao Tao's skin. The areas around her neck and back were covered in densely packed red spots, resembling a fungal infection, dry and inflamed against her pale pink skin.
"Oh my..." she exclaimed, lifting the damp little bird out of the water to inspect her more closely, pulling aside the feathers for a better look.
It seemed like a skin condition, which explained why she had been so lethargic all night.
"Sweetheart, why didn't you say anything?" Lou Yuzhu's heart ached as she kissed Tao Tao lightly, disregarding the faint fishy smell of her wet feathers. Her concern was genuine.
In the past, Tao Tao couldn't speak, so Lou Yuzhu had to rely solely on observation whenever she fell ill. Now that Tao Tao could talk, she still wouldn't say anything when feeling unwell—such a mischievous little thing.
After bathing the little bird, Lou Yuzhu placed her in a small drying box. Once her feathers were mostly dry, she carefully took her out.
Lou Yuzhu then placed Tao Tao on her lap, opened a jar of plain petroleum jelly, scooped out a small amount, warmed it in her palm, and gently applied it to Tao Tao's skin.
Perhaps it hurt, as the usually quiet little parrot suddenly became agitated, relentlessly biting at her hand. Every time her hand got close, Tao Tao bit down hard enough to break the skin with her sharp beak.
"Tao Tao, behave. You need the ointment to get better faster," Lou Yuzhu coaxed patiently, perhaps because Tao Tao was unwell, and she didn't take offense at being bitten. "Does it hurt a lot? I'll take you to see the doctor tomorrow. If it's serious, we might need to do an IV."
She firmly gripped Tao Tao's body, wings included, to keep her from thrashing free. With her other hand, she carefully spread the ointment onto Tao Tao's inflamed skin, parting the feathers to reach the affected areas.
Tao Tao seemed to be in considerable pain. As Lou Yuzhu applied the medication, she gently blew on her to ease the discomfort.
After what felt like an eternity, the task was done. The moment Lou Yuzhu let go, Tao Tao flew straight to her climbing perch and began grooming her feathers with her head bowed. She seemed entirely absorbed in the task, as though the world around her had disappeared.
Lou Yuzhu closed the doors and windows, leaving a warm yellow bedside lamp on. She lay in bed pretending to sleep. After a long wait—almost two hours—she finally felt the little one approach.
The girl who had transformed from the bird climbed to the floor and rummaged through the wardrobe for her favorite clothes. After getting dressed, she climbed into the bed. Sitting on the edge, she observed her surroundings before eventually choosing the half of the bed closest to the wall.
"Tao Tao, does it hurt?" Lou Yuzhu suddenly asked, tilting her head. Her eyes showed signs of weariness from the day.
Hearing her owner's voice, the girl froze mid-climb. Interrupted, she simply sat in the middle of the bed, fidgeting with her hair and shaking her head.
Lou Yuzhu sat up, gently lifting Tao Tao's long hair to examine the skin on the back of her neck. The area was bright red, resembling the color of broken capillaries, a strange symptom.
"If you're uncomfortable, you have to tell me," she said, her fingers gently combing through Tao Tao's silky platinum hair. "That way, I'll know what to do, how to help you, and how to make you feel better. If you don't say anything and I don't notice, the delay could be serious."
She started worrying about what might happen if Tao Tao was bullied at school. Would she stay silent about it, too?
For birds, grooming each other's feathers was a sign of affection. The girl seemed to enjoy it, tilting her head obediently to let Lou Yuzhu brush her hair.
Lou Yuzhu suddenly asked, "Were you happy today? Did you have fun?"
Pulling Tao Tao into her lap, she let the girl rest her head there while she applied lotion to her dry, reddened skin. "I had fun. From what I've seen, Dr. Zhuo seems like a decent man. He's pleasant to be around, and things might progress further. If it works out, Tao Tao, you'll have another friend in your life—someone who will be the third person in the world to love you."
The second would always be Fu Ye, her godmother.
The girl frowned, her small face clouded with thought as she tried to process her owner's words. "Does Yuyu like... Dr. Zhuo?"
The word 'doctor' was unfamiliar to her, but parrots were quick learners. Her tone perfectly mimicked Lou Yuzhu's pronunciation, even down to the intonation.
As a host, Lou Yuzhu had a sharp ear for such things and immediately picked up on it. Parrot-people were truly amazing creatures, capable of imitating sounds so effortlessly.
"Well, I guess you could say that," Lou Yuzhu replied vaguely.
While it wasn't at the level of wanting to get married, she did like him a bit.
Her palm gently massaged the lotion onto Tao Tao's fair neck, careful to avoid causing any pain. It was mostly a soft, dabbing motion.
When she looked up, she saw the girl lying in her lap with a bitter expression, her eyes red and brimming with unshed tears.
Lou Yuzhu froze, quickly changing the subject. "How about you, Tao Tao? Were you happy today? I saw you playing with the toy car earlier. Shall I buy you a new toy tomorrow?"
The girl took a sharp breath, her lips trembling from heartbreak. It took her a moment to speak. "Not happy! You said... you said you'd come back early... early to play with me, but you didn't. You came home and just got tired. I waited all day."
She tried to have fun by herself, eating tasty treats and playing with her favorite toys, but nothing worked.
After waiting so long for her owner to return, Lou Yuzhu didn't keep her promise. She came home, showered, and went straight to bed.
Lou Yuzhu hadn't realized that such a small oversight could make Tao Tao so upset. She gently stroked the girl's face, comforting her softly. "I didn't do well. I'm sorry, Tao Tao. Don't cry, okay? How about we play the basketball game?"
There was a miniature basketball hoop on the table. When playing, Lou Yuzhu would toss a small rattan ball for Tao Tao to fetch, who would then carry it back and shoot it into the hoop.
Most parrots enjoyed interactive games like these.
But Tao Tao only grew more upset. She pushed away Lou Yuzhu's hand and sat up, bowing forward with her hands on her knees. She couldn't breathe properly unless she hunched over like that.
She wanted to say so many things but didn't know how to express them. All she knew was that this wasn't the kind of apology she wanted, and playing games wasn't what she needed.
After a long pause, she blurted out stiffly, "It's not... not today anymore!"
Lou Yuzhu knew parrots could have fiery tempers, but she hadn't expected Tao Tao to be so stubborn, rejecting even attempts to make amends. A single broken promise had left her this heartbroken.
"I know I was wrong. It was so wrong of me to keep you waiting that long," Lou Yuzhu said, distressed. She couldn't bear to see Tao Tao cry—it was like watching her suffocate, terrifying to witness. "I promise it won't happen again. Never again."
The words had barely left her mouth when she realized something was off about making such a promise...
Before she could figure out why, she felt a sudden warmth on her lips. Tao Tao's soft lips pressed against hers, lingering for several seconds before pulling away.
Tao Tao seemed appeased after that, climbing into the blanket and tucking herself in. She even patted the space next to her, urging Lou Yuzhu to join her in bed.
Lou Yuzhu wiped her lips with the back of her hand, still feeling the lingering sensation of Tao Tao's kiss. Why hadn't she pushed her away just now? This kind of behavior clearly wasn't appropriate.
When Tao Tao had first transformed into a human, she had been naïve about many things. She likely didn't understand the concept of kissing, associating it merely with affection. But that kiss just now had felt... different.
As someone who was currently dating, how could she kiss Tao Tao like that?
Lou Yuzhu, now wide awake, lay back on the bed, feeling uneasy. She turned to look at the girl beside her. "Tao Tao, we can't kiss like that anymore. Kissing on the lips is something only couples do. My love for you is like a friend's love, not a couple's love. If we keep doing this... it's not right."
She didn't mind physical closeness with her female friends—hugging, cuddling, or even casual kisses. But if the other person viewed her as a romantic partner, such intimacy took on a different meaning.
This kind of straightforwardness was typical of someone not accustomed to nuance in relationships.
Tao Tao, with her small brain, couldn't process such complicated matters. She muttered the words "friend" and "couple" under her breath, trying to make sense of them.
Lou Yuzhu elaborated further. "I'm not sure if they are going to teach you this at school, but do you know how to tell the difference between liking someone romantically and liking them as a friend? The simplest way is to ask yourself if you have any physical feelings for them. I can tell you clearly that, in my heart, you're on the same level as Fu Ye. Do you see me kissing Fu Ye like that? So you and I shouldn't either."
She felt embarrassed saying all this but thought it was necessary to explain. To emphasize her point, she added, "Tonight is the last time. From now on, we can't do that anymore."
The girl's face grew solemn as she whispered to herself, her words incomprehensible. After a while, she seemed to grasp the meaning behind Lou Yuzhu's explanation. Hugging the blanket tightly, her face was streaked with fresh tears. "What you said... it hurts so much. I'm not happy... I don't want that kind of love. I want you to love me like you love Dr. Zhuo..."
Because it was nighttime, she instinctively kept her voice low, stifling her sobs.
For the first time, the little parrot realized that her owner didn't love her back.