Chapter 14
Caught peeking at the phone, Yan Yan slowly met Si Jingce’s gaze through the front camera. He immediately shrank back and awkwardly clutched at whatever he was standing on with his claws.
…Si Jingce felt a chill down his scalp.
“Yan Yan.” He turned off the phone. “It’s late. Time to sleep.”
The pearl bird chirped quietly.
Just one more episode.
Si Jingce: “…Little ones aren’t supposed to stay up late.”
He reached out and tucked Yan Yan into the makeshift coral fleece nest. “Besides, we’ve got guests coming over. We need to sleep early.”
Yan Yan stubbornly poked his head out of the nest. Si Jingce pushed him back in again.
“You can watch more tomorrow.”
A little more entertainment for the bird was good anyway—better than sitting by the window all day watching other birds.
Though… Yan Yan seemed to have gotten some rather strange ideas from Journey to the West…
The next day after lunch, Si Jingce found a phone stand and set it on the living room table. He placed his phone on it and prepared some egg millet for Yan Yan so he could snack while watching.
Meanwhile, he started tidying up the house in preparation for his guest’s arrival.
He and Yun Duan had agreed earlier to meet for the first time and film some content together.
Since he rarely hosted guests, he didn’t even have extra mugs. Fortunately, he had disposable paper cups, which he casually left beside Yan Yan before going off to boil some water.
The water hadn’t boiled yet when the doorbell rang.
The sound of a paper cup tipping over echoed behind him. Si Jingce turned his head and saw paper cups scattered all over the table, the video paused on the phone screen, and no sign of the bird.
He paused. “Yan Yan?”
It took a moment before the little bird responded.
Satisfied that nothing serious had happened, Si Jingce went to open the door and saw someone holding up their phone, shouting, “Surprise!!”
Behind him, a pretty girl popped out and twisted a party popper—pop!—and colorful streamers exploded right onto Si Jingce’s face.
Expressionless, Si Jingce brushed the streamers off. “Thanks. Just remember to clean this up later.”
Yun Duan, sheepish: “Got it, bro.”
It was the very same Yun Duan who’d scared Yan Yan half to death the other day. In person, he looked quite young—like a high schooler.
The girl beside him was his girlfriend, also a streamer on Gem TV—BoboMei.
BoboMei held up a gift bag and smiled shyly. “We’ll clean everything up before we leave.”
Si Jingce let them into the house.
“Have you seen my older videos?” Yun Duan began explaining. “It’s all natural, no scripting, no fake stuff, and definitely no harm to animals.”
After getting Si Jingce’s approval, he filmed a quick walkthrough of the house for B-roll. “Damn, this place is prime. Must’ve cost a fortune?”
“No,” Si Jingce replied calmly. “Just living off my parents.”
Yun Duan: “…Don’t give me that humble act.”
As if he didn’t know—property in this area wasn’t just about money.
Si Jingce didn’t pursue the topic further. “Yan Yan’s scared of strangers. He ran off the moment he heard the doorbell. You guys take a seat.”
He started picking up the fallen paper cups. “Want some tea?”
“Just water’s fine.”
Yun Duan helped out, grabbing a cup—only to suddenly realize this one felt… heavier than the others. He peeked inside.
And locked eyes with a tiny bird who was blushing and curled up inside the cup.
The two stared at each other in silence until the pearl bird couldn’t bear it, nervously pecked at the cup wall, and curled into an even tighter ball.
Then, awkwardly, he turned around and buried his head, using his tail feathers to hide from Yun Duan.
Yun Duan silently handed the cup to Si Jingce. “…Bro, your bird’s in my drink.”
Si Jingce, confused, took it and looked inside: …
He flipped the cup upside-down onto the table. A tiny bird, unable to keep grip, slowly slid out of the cup.
“Aaahhh—!”
Yun Duan and BoboMei’s voices suddenly went high-pitched like they’d been hit with a voice changer.
“This is Yan Yan?! He’s even smaller than he looks in videos!”
Yan Yan blinked blankly at the two guests. Then his feathers puffed up, and he ran straight up Si Jingce’s arm and clung to his neck, staring at the strangers with wide, timid eyes.
The guy—he’d seen him before. That bad gamer who played horror games with his human.
The girl…
Yan Yan studied her carefully, then shook his head.
Nope, never seen her.
Si Jingce gave a brief intro. “That’s Yun Duan’s girlfriend, BoboMei.”
Yan Yan and BoboMei locked eyes. The girl immediately waved excitedly. “Hi, Yan Yan!”
“The other one’s Yun Duan. Didn’t you say you wanted to settle the score with him the other day?” Si Jingce said with a sly smile, placing Yan Yan between the two. “He’s here now—go peck him.”
Yan Yan looked up.
Left: Yun Duan.
Right: BoboMei.
Middle: Poor, helpless, defenseless me.
Yan Yan: .
Never mind. I don’t dare anymore.
Si Jingce set the pet communicator on the table to help with human-bird communication.
“So cute…” BoboMei was nearly dazed from the cuteness. She placed the gift bag on the table. “I made something for Yan Yan.”
She opened the bag and started pulling things out one by one.
BoboMei was good at crocheting. She’d made a brown-and-white bird nest—tight stitches, sturdy, and beautifully done.
There were also little pearl bird brooches… and a few handmade bibs.
Yan Yan’s eyes went wide.
Si Jingce quickly placed him in the bird nest to test it out. The bird stepped all over it and looked beyond satisfied.
“Chirp chirp.”
He laid his head on the edge of the nest and chirped at BoboMei.
Realizing she couldn’t understand him, Yan Yan rushed over and tapped a button on the communicator.
“Thank you, Sister!”
Felt a bit perfunctory.
Thinking for a moment, Yan Yan stuck out his head and gently rubbed her left hand.
BoboMei nearly passed out from excitement: !!!
So soft!
Seriously, SO soft!
She gasped, holding her left hand like a sacred relic. “I’m never washing this hand again!”
“Me too, me too!”
Yun Duan stretched his hand out in the same way.
Without even glancing at him, Yan Yan bit his hand.
Yun Duan: …
“Bro! Your bird bullied me!”
Si Jingce ignored him, completely absorbed in examining the things BoboMei had made.
The girl had excellent taste. The color combinations were perfect.
BoboMei gently patted Yan Yan and looked up to see Si Jingce seriously scrutinizing… the tiny bib she’d made.
Turning it over. Studying every stitch.
His expression plus those motions made her instantly panic—did he think it might harm Yan Yan?
Mortified, she stepped forward and nervously explained, “I just like making cute stuff. I always make something for my friends’ pets when I visit…”
“Though, I get that the pink and frilly stuff might not be a guy thing…”
“No, it’s really nice.” Si Jingce replied.
He paused, clearly a little conflicted. “Just… could you teach me how to make this?”
BoboMei’s prepared speech got stuck in her throat.
Seeing her reaction, Si Jingce added, “Yan Yan really likes them.”
Understanding now, BoboMei happily agreed. “Of course! I’d love to teach you.”
She just hadn’t imagined lcberg, with that face, handcrafting bird accessories…
Seeing that Yan Yan had warmed up to both of them, Si Jingce left the bird in their care while he went to book a restaurant for a fancy dinner.
After Si Jingce left, Yan Yan, as the co-host of the house, played with them briefly before returning to the phone to resume his show.
Yun Duan peeked over and watched as the little bird nudged the phone, resuming playback.
It was still Journey to the West?!
He chuckled. “Do you even understand this?”
Yan Yan: “Chirp chirp!”
Why wouldn’t a bird understand!?
The pearl bird watched intently, trying to unlock the secret of how animals could turn into humans.
Yun Duan, finding it hilarious, recorded the scene for his video.
But then Yan Yan paused the show again.
Yun Duan watched as the bird opened the search bar.
Maybe because his beak couldn’t tap the screen, Yan Yan struggled to use his head to type.
One word at a time, he input:
How can a little bird become a human.
BoboMei: ?
Yun Duan: ??
Stunned, Yun Duan lowered the camera.
“Bro… BRO!” Yun Duan yelled. “Your bird’s got problems!”
…
Si Jingce took Yun Duan and BoboMei to the city’s most renowned kaiseki restaurant.
Yan Yan sat curled up in his bird backpack, listening as his human and Yun Duan argued about what just happened.
Yun Duan thought the scene was too bizarre and insisted the bird needed a checkup.
Si Jingce remained calm. “You’ve just seen too little of the world.”
Yun Duan wanted to argue but stopped.
His bro was already neck-deep in bird-love. Nothing he said would get through.
When they reached their private dining room, Yan Yan was let out.
A server brought a miniature chair and placed it beside Si Jingce. The man gently placed Yan Yan onto it, with a beautiful little dining tray set before him.
Yan Yan, surprised: “Chirp?”
He got a meal too?!
Si Jingce had paid extra for a custom kaiseki menu suitable for birds—no salt, with veggies safe for pearl birds.
Yun Duan, still dwelling on the earlier shock, was briefly distracted by the appetizer.
His tray’s lid was lifted first. Yan Yan peeked over and saw creamy yellow corn sauce drizzled over fresh scallop, rich and fragrant.
Looked amazing.
He looked back at his own tray.
The server, used to fancy clients, respectfully opened Yan Yan’s silver-plated dish—
Yan Yan’s face fell.
Plain boiled bok choy.
The other three were savoring scallops. Yan Yan took a single peck of his veggie and then waited, hoping the next course would be better.
The moment it arrived, the aroma hit him.
Glazed eel laid over white rice. Every grain soaked in eel oil. The fish was tender—one bite and it’d melt in your mouth.
Yan Yan looked at his own.
Steamed carrot… carved to look like eel.
Yan Yan: …
Birdie’s about to lose it!!
Si Jingce’s real eel bowl was right next to him. Just a stretch and he could reach it.
The scent was torture. Yan Yan slowly inched forward.
Yun Duan glanced over and shouted, “Bro! See?! I told you your bird’s not normal—no pearl bird eats meat!”
Before he could finish, BoboMei elbowed him. “Eat quietly.”
Busted, Yan Yan froze.
Si Jingce pushed him back. “You can’t eat that.”
Yan Yan: QAQ
Fine. No eating.
Depressed, he picked at his own dish. Then he noticed the others sipping rose sake and chatting.
That sweet rose aroma…
Had to be tasty, right?
The little bird peeked at the humans. They were discussing Gem TV’s “Star of the Year” contest.
BoboMei said, “I’ve got some insider info—the contest is happening soon. Big rule changes this year. It’ll be chaos.”
When it happened last year, Si Jingce had just started streaming and didn’t know much about it.
“You wouldn’t believe how messy it got. Trending every day. Scandals left and right.”
Yun Duan nodded. “I’m sticking with my girlfriend this year. Probably won’t win, but at least we’ll keep our rankings respectable.”
He nudged Si Jingce. “I know I said it jokingly before, but seriously—consider getting a partner.”
Two people build hype faster and stream better together.
“No one suitable,” Si Jingce replied as always. “And I’m not interested.”
He preferred working solo. Being forced to team up with a stranger would likely backfire.
“Don’t stress.” BoboMei teased, glancing at Yan Yan. “You’ve still got your bird… Yan Yan!”
She suddenly stood up.
“Don’t drink that!”
The others turned just in time.
The chubby bird stood on the rim of Si Jingce’s cup, legs spread.
While they weren’t looking, Yan Yan had dunked half his head into the sake.
Startled, he pulled his head out—his bright red beak still dripping with rose liquor.
