Chapter 28
Si De was stunned by Si Jingce’s shameless “take-and-run” move, freezing in place for a moment.
When he came back to his senses, his face darkened, and he held out his hand. “Give me the check back.”
“No.” Si Jingce reiterated his stance, “I won’t shut down my stream, and I won’t come back home. I don’t want to repeat myself.”
Si De snapped, “You’ve really grown wings, haven’t you!”
Si Jingce had long since become immune to his father’s words.
It was always the same few lines—he was tired of hearing them.
“What’s so good about being a streamer? Do you know how embarrassing it is for me in front of others? My son, Si De’s son, became a gaming streamer!”
“And now look at you—everything you learned in school is gone! You can even spell ‘iceberg’ as ‘lcberg’!” Si De scolded. “One day, people will call you illiterate!”
Si Jingce carefully put away the check. “As long as I know I’m not, that’s enough.”
“I’ll just treat this check as a gift for Yanyan.”
The biggest conflict between him and his father had always been his job. As long as Si Jingce didn’t quit, and Si De didn’t back down, this conflict would never disappear.
After successfully getting a large sum of money from his father, Si Jingce went out to find Yanyan.
When he found him, Yanyan was sitting in the living room, surrounded by Gui Yaying and the housekeeper.
“Yanyan, this osmanthus cake is very delicious.” Gui Yaying smiled as she placed a piece into his hand.
The housekeeper offered tea. “This tea is also quite good, Young Master. Would you like to try it?”
The boy was being fed nonstop, his cheeks stuffed full, his words muffled. “Mm… th-thank… mm…”
His eyes were slightly watery as he chewed rapidly. When he saw Si Jingce at the doorway and remembered his one-week snack ban, he sped up his chewing even more.
Si Jingce: …
“Don’t eat so much,” Si Jingce said. “You won’t be able to eat lunch later. Yanyan is still growing—he needs balanced nutrition.”
Yanyan: “Mm&?…”
Gui Yaying reluctantly stopped.
Yanyan quickly finished everything in his hands and mouth. Taking advantage of Si Jingce not paying attention, he stuffed another piece of cake into his mouth, nearly choking.
Gui Yaying handed him water, then turned to Si Jingce. “What did you say to your father? Why did you come out so quickly?”
Usually, the two of them would argue for at least half an hour.
Si Jingce replied casually, “Not sure. Maybe he suddenly felt fatherly love and threw a check at my face to insult me.”
Gui Yaying was speechless. “…Fine. If he gave you money, just take it. No point refusing.”
It was still early before lunch, so Si Jingce decided to take Yanyan out for a walk in the garden.
Yanyan followed closely behind him, still holding a plate of pastries.
The garden was huge. Only after walking deeper in did they barely see anyone around.
They sat on a swing. Si Jingce picked up a piece of cake and held it to Yanyan’s mouth. “Eat.”
Yanyan froze.
“Didn’t you say to eat less and keep balanced nutrition?” he muttered, then took a bite from Si Jingce’s hand.
His soft lips brushed against Si Jingce’s fingertips. Si Jingce lowered his gaze slightly, a bit unnatural. “Because you look like you haven’t eaten in ages. My mom might think I’m abusing you.”
Yanyan complained, “You are. You didn’t let me eat breakfast.”
“No spicy strips with cola first thing in the morning,” Si Jingce said expressionlessly. “You couldn’t argue with me, so you went on a hunger strike.”
Which lasted less than two hours.
Yanyan ate one, and Si Jingce fed him another.
After eating enough, Yanyan brushed the crumbs off himself and said, “By the way, brother, I want to find a job.”
“Why suddenly bring that up?”
Yanyan pursed his lips. “The housekeeper asked me just now where I work.”
He liked the pastries very much. The housekeeper didn’t know he lived with Si Jingce, so he asked where he studied and said he could deliver some every week.
Yanyan said he wasn’t in school.
The housekeeper paused, then asked where he worked—delivery there would also be fine.
Yanyan couldn’t answer, so he said he hadn’t found a job yet.
After that, Gui Yaying and the housekeeper gave him even more pastries.
Back at the Waterbird World, Xiao Li had suggested he stay and work there as a “working bird.”
He could earn money and better integrate into human society.
But Yanyan refused, because it was too far from brother.
“And I realized I’ve been using your money all this time,” Yanyan said shyly. “I want to stick with you forever, but I don’t want to just freeload.”
“Back then I was a bird, I didn’t eat much. I didn’t spend much each month.” Yanyan smiled. “But now I’m human…”
“I’m not so poor that I can’t support one person. And you’re not freeloading.” Si Jingce patted his head and respected his decision. “No rush to work. You should go to school first.”
At Yanyan’s age, he should still be studying, not working.
Si Jingce had already planned it—first prepare him for IELTS, then send him abroad to study.
Of course, he wouldn’t leave Yanyan alone in a foreign place for years. He’d probably go with him.
“Will studying take a long time?” Yanyan frowned. “Can I study while streaming with you?”
“It’s possible—if you have the energy.”
Yanyan grabbed his hand, eyes sparkling. “Then it’s settled! The Annual Star competition is starting soon. Brother, don’t you still need a partner?”
This year’s event was huge, coinciding with the 8th anniversary of Gemstone TV. The hype had already been building.
No one could resist the temptation of “Annual Star.”
Si Jingce had even calculated—if he won, his ad revenue could surpass the check Si De just threw at him.
At that point, he could throw it right back.
“You want to partner with me?”
“Why not? You don’t have a partner yet, and we have great chemistry!” Yanyan already had a plan. “I’ll be called Pineapple Sweet Donut!”
After deciding his name, he looked at Si Jingce expectantly. “Brother…”
“No.” Si Jingce reacted instantly. “Even though ‘lcberg’ is a typo, I’m used to it. I’m not changing it to Strawberry Shaved Ice…”
Yanyan picked up a piece of cake and held it to his mouth. “Brother, eat.”
The intention to bribe him couldn’t be more obvious.
“…Fine,” Si Jingce said.
“In-game, I can be Strawberry Shaved Ice.”
Yanyan grinned and fed him the cake.
The two of them shared the remaining osmanthus cakes, one piece each.
Just as Yanyan reached for the last piece, he suddenly heard a faint sound.
He froze, looking around, unable to locate it.
He opened his mouth again to finish the cake—
“Meow—”
Yanyan’s hand trembled. His whole body stiffened.
It seemed to be coming from above.
He slowly raised his head…
On the second floor of the villa, by the window, sat two plump orange cats.
They looked fierce—like two miniature lions—staring intently at Yanyan… and the cake in his hand.
When they noticed the humans in the garden looking at them, they immediately pawed at the glass, making scratching sounds.
Between their fluffy pads, sharp claws could be seen.
Yanyan: QAQ!!!
“Ahhh—Brother, brother, brother!!” The boy rushed into Si Jingce’s arms, shouting in tears, “There are cats!”
The swing began to sway from his sudden movement. He climbed onto Si Jingce’s lap, trembling.
Si Jingce held him tightly and looked up—Gui Yaying’s two “triangle rice balls” were sitting there calmly.
“It’s fine,” Si Jingce comforted. “They’re on the second floor, they can’t come down. You’re human now—you don’t need to be afraid of cats.”
“Then why are they staring at me?” Yanyan trembled. “Do they think I look tasty?”
Si Jingce found Yanyan’s pastry on the chair.
The moment he picked it up, the cats upstairs pressed tightly against the glass again, staring at it with undisguised greed.
Si Jingce: …
Greedy little beasts.
“They think the pastry looks good, not you,” Si Jingce said. “They’re probably just hungry. I’ll have someone feed them later. Come down first.”
Yanyan clung tightly to him, his voice trembling. “Are they gone?”
“No.”
“Can you make them leave the windowsill?” Yanyan looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears. “I… I’m a little scared.”
“Yanyan,” Si Jingce said helplessly, “they just like lying on the windowsill to bask in the sun.”
At this point, there was no easy way to have someone remove the cats, and as Si Jingce was thinking of a solution, he heard footsteps approaching from afar.
He looked up and saw the housekeeper, wearing his usual professional smile, guiding Doctor Chen over.
“Doctor Chen, this way,” the housekeeper said. “Young Master is here entertaining a guest.”
“Thank you, I can manage from here—” Doctor Chen began politely, but his words abruptly stopped.
The housekeeper turned blankly toward Si Jingce and slowly met his gaze.
A crack appeared in his perfect smile.
Si Jingce sat on the swing, while the beautiful boy he brought home was straddling his lap, cheeks flushed an unnatural pink.
Their clothes were slightly disheveled—no matter how one looked at it, something felt off.
The two cats on the windowsill had already disappeared.
Si Jingce patted Yanyan’s waist. “Get down. The cats are gone.”
As if nothing had happened, he helped Yanyan sit properly and casually straightened his clothes.
The housekeeper, well-accustomed to all kinds of situations, composed himself. “Doctor Chen mentioned he had something to discuss with you, so I brought him over.”
He couldn’t help glancing at the two again and lowered his voice. “You should be more careful. If Madam finds out, it’ll be trouble.”
In front of a guest… honestly.
Doctor Chen’s gaze immediately turned meaningful.
Si Jingce said calmly, “It’s fine. Go check on the two cats upstairs—they’re probably hungry.”
“That won’t do,” Doctor Chen said with a smile. “Those two cats are overweight. They’re on a diet now. You have to control their intake—no softheartedness when it comes to that.”
The housekeeper brought him a chair and then left.
Doctor Chen sat down, his gaze lingering on Yanyan for a long time.
Yanyan shrank slightly behind Si Jingce.
Only then did Doctor Chen withdraw his gaze.
“I heard Yanyan has been doing well lately,” he said. “Has he already passed the mutation period?”
Si Jingce pressed down on Yanyan’s hand, signaling him not to act rashly. “Yes, he’s fine now.”
Doctor Chen murmured, “That’s good… May I ask, what exactly was the result of the mutation period?”
Si Jingce remained silent.
The result… was turning into a human.
But he had signed a confidentiality agreement with Xiao Li. He couldn’t disclose it casually.
One reason was to avoid causing panic. Another was that animals who transformed into humans often had striking appearances, which could attract dangerous attention.
“Nothing special,” Si Jingce said. “For small animals, it’s just like falling seriously ill. Once they recover, everything returns to normal.”
Doctor Chen smiled faintly. “I see.”
No matter what, Doctor Chen had helped him a lot during that time. Si Jingce added, “Later, I’ll have someone send you a document. It contains a mitigation plan for the mutation period. After discussing it with Xiao Li, we decided to give it to you for free, as a token of gratitude.”
Yanyan also said softly, “Thank you.”
“Then I’ll accept it with thanks, Young Master Si.”
The atmosphere felt somewhat strange. After a pause, Doctor Chen spoke again. “After the mutation period, are you sure there are no changes at all?”
Si Jingce answered firmly, “None.”
A trace of disappointment appeared on Doctor Chen’s face. “That’s a pity.”
“Perhaps it’s just that current technology isn’t advanced enough to detect any abnormalities.”
He glanced at Si Jingce. “To be honest, I’m not satisfied. I’ve spent years researching with no progress, while younger students have made breakthroughs and keep their findings hidden… it’s hard not to feel jealous.”
Si Jingce frowned.
“I’ve recently restarted my research,” Doctor Chen continued. “I came here not only to ask about Yanyan, but also to discuss cooperation with your mother.”
“Research requires funding. And of course… I also need a successful sample.”
He paused briefly. “This may sound presumptuous, but would you be willing to sell your zebra finch to me for research? I can compensate you with another bird.”
Yanyan: ?
Illegal bird trafficking?!
And discussing it right in front of the bird?!
Anger flickered across Si Jingce’s expression. “No.”
The idea was absurd—to take Yanyan away from him and replace him with another bird!
Yanyan was irreplaceable.
A chill ran through him as he recalled Xiao Li’s words.
Pelicans were protected animals—people wouldn’t dare act rashly.
But zebra finches were common birds in markets.
“Know when to stop,” Si Jingce said coldly. “I understand your feelings, but that’s no excuse to take someone else’s pet for research. The mitigation plan alone is enough for you to profit greatly.”
Doctor Chen’s smile faded. “Alright. Seems I’ve made myself unwelcome again.”
Si Jingce had no intention of continuing the conversation. He grabbed Yanyan’s hand and stood up to leave.
“Wait,” Doctor Chen called out, openly sizing Yanyan up. “You’re also called Yanyan?”
The boy, slightly frightened, nodded.
“I’ve never heard of someone naming their beloved pet after an ordinary friend,” Doctor Chen said with a faint smile. “Given your family background, Young Master Si, I imagine that wouldn’t be acceptable at home.”
Si Jingce narrowed his eyes.
He wasn’t wrong—his family did frown upon such matters.
Doctor Chen might have misunderstood something.
Or perhaps… he had seen through Yanyan’s identity and was probing him deliberately.
“What happens in my family has nothing to do with you,” Si Jingce said. “And I hate being threatened.”
He pulled Yanyan away. The boy kept looking back at Doctor Chen.
The usually gentle doctor stood there with a gloomy expression, unsettling to the core.
“Brother…” Yanyan called softly, a little scared. “Did you argue with Doctor Chen? Why did you argue with him?”
Si Jingce tightened his grip on Yanyan’s hand. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry. Just stay away from him in the future.”
Yanyan nodded obediently.
Even if he didn’t fully understand, he grasped the key point.
Doctor Chen wanted to take him away from brother and use him for research.
And he even tried to threaten him!
Clinging to Si Jingce’s arm, Yanyan asked worriedly, “Is he going to tell Uncle and Auntie that you like boys? Will they beat you with a stick?”
Si Jingce: …
If they were going to beat him, it would’ve already happened when Yanyan called them “Mom and Dad” earlier.
He rubbed Yanyan’s head. “Don’t worry. I won’t get beaten.”
Doctor Chen intended to continue researching the mutation period, even trying to rope Gui Yaying into it—and even proposed buying Yanyan.
Si Jingce didn’t oppose further research.
But he believed… people should have reverence for life.
He had been holding back his frustration, and when he saw Doctor Chen sitting right across from him at the dining table, it only made him more irritable—he couldn’t even bring himself to eat.
Gui Yaying, however, still smiled warmly. “We’ve really troubled you, Doctor Chen, having you regularly check on these two old fellows of ours.”
The two orange cats at home were already quite old. Watching pets she had raised grow old and near the end of their lives inevitably made her sentimental, so she cared for them even more attentively.
Doctor Chen replied, “Not at all, it’s my duty.”
Si De raised his teacup toward him. “If you run into any difficulties, feel free to come to us. As long as it’s within our ability and doesn’t cross any boundaries, we’ll certainly help.”
At that, Doctor Chen glanced at Si Jingce.
Si Jingce felt a faint jolt in his chest.
Sure enough, Doctor Chen said, “I do have some difficulties lately.”
“Last time, when I saw Young Master Si’s zebra finch entering its mutation period, it reminded me of the research I once abandoned.”
He put on a troubled expression. “I can’t help but wonder—if I hadn’t stopped back then, would fewer small animals have died in pain over the years?”
Si Jingce listened calmly to the end.
As expected of someone who had been around Gui Yaying for a long time—he knew exactly where her soft spot was. Sure enough, Gui Yaying’s expression showed a hint of wavering.
Doctor Chen continued, “So I plan to restart the project, but I’m currently short on funding.”
Gui Yaying began, “Then—”
“Investing in research projects like this requires careful consideration,” Si Jingce interrupted. “Doctor Chen, perhaps you can find a time to discuss this properly with my mother… the dining table isn’t the place for business.”
Gui Yaying paused, then nodded seriously. “Yes, it does require careful thought.”
Doctor Chen was momentarily stifled, his smile stiffening. “I was being presumptuous.”
He lowered his head and continued eating, saying no more.
Si Jingce felt certain that Doctor Chen wouldn’t give up so easily.
He picked up a few pieces of meat and placed them into Yanyan’s bowl, immediately drawing attention from others.
Doctor Chen glanced over several times.
“Speaking of which, it’s quite interesting,” he said. “When I went to see Young Master Si earlier today, I happened to see him and Yanyan playing.”
“On the swing—Yanyan was afraid of cats and got so scared he hid in Young Master Si’s arms.”
Si De’s chopsticks paused slightly.
Gui Yaying’s expression also turned a bit awkward.
“Young people these days are quite close… it made me a little envious.”
With a soft clack, Si Jingce set down his chopsticks, cutting him off.
“Oh, that reminds me—I was planning to say something today anyway.”
He glanced at his parents. “I originally intended to tell you later, but it doesn’t really matter when I say it.”
“I like men. I don’t like women. That won’t change.”
“Not now, not in the future.”
