Chapter 41
The moment Yanyan heard this, he perked up and hurriedly urged the white sparrow to continue.
The white sparrow organized its thoughts and recounted everything in detail.
The house near its nest had originally been occupied by an elderly couple. Later, their daughter brought them into the city, leaving the house vacant and put up for rent.
Because of its remote location, the white sparrow had assumed no one would move in. Yet before long, a new tenant appeared.
“So noisy,” the white sparrow grumbled. “The whole place is filled with the sounds of cats, dogs, and birds. I can’t even sleep.”
“That person doesn’t live there, but comes every day. Sometimes he carries cages, sometimes all kinds of strange things.”
The white sparrow recalled, “That day I got curious and wanted to sneak in to take a look. Just as I got close, he happened to be carrying a big cage inside again. The crow inside seemed extremely agitated—it kept screaming at me…”
Thinking back to that scene, it shrank its neck and said pitifully, “That crow is too fierce.”
The crow itself looked intimidating—large in size, its feathers giving off a cold, metallic sheen. Its sharp claws looked capable of piercing prey at any moment. No wonder it could overpower the cat at home.
Yanyan turned and relayed the white sparrow’s words to the two humans: “Jiji jiji jiji…”
Xiao Li looked over. “What did he say?”
Si Jingce silently picked up Yanyan, processing the information…
“The person it saw was Doctor Chen,” he summarized succinctly.
Xiao Li: …
All that chirping—and that’s the conclusion?
Yanyan continued asking the white sparrow, “Are there many cameras around that house?”
“Two or three.”
“Are there many tall, strong bodyguards?”
“You mean the big yellow dog guarding the door?”
“Are there those dense red laser lines that go ‘puchi’ and pierce your body if you touch them?”
“I haven’t seen anything like that.”
Si Jingce relayed to Xiao Li, “His hideout is a rented house in a remote area. There are a few cameras, no security guards—just a big yellow dog at the entrance.”
Xiao Li fell silent.
“…Has he fallen that far? Not a single investor?”
From the beginning, Si Jingce had said that continuing experiments under the suspicion that animals could turn human would never pass ethical review.
On top of that, after Doctor Chen had been driven out by the Si family in broad daylight, anyone with connections wouldn’t risk offending them by continuing to cooperate with him.
Everyone was smart—no one would take on such a thankless task.
Still, Si Jingce hadn’t expected that even under such poor conditions, Doctor Chen would continue trying to uncover the secret of the mutation period.
Xiao Li sighed. “If Professor Chen only wants to know what animals become after the mutation period, he doesn’t need a high-level lab.”
Just gather animals in the mutation phase, feed them regularly, give them electrolyte water.
One day, one of them would turn human.
Si Jingce thought for a long time. “But if he wants to fully understand the mutation process…”
Then that house was far from a simple holding place.
Unethical behavior, unregulated experiments, infection, inflammation—even death—all could happen to those animals.
“He can’t tell when a wild animal is in the mutation phase, but it’s different for pets.”
“The symptoms are obvious. A quick post online for help could easily attract the wrong kind of people.”
After thinking it through, Si Jingce realized—it was likely during that PK livestream between Yanyan and Luo Huoxi that the crow’s mutation phase was exposed, allowing Doctor Chen to approach Luo Huoxi first.
Si Jingce frowned deeply.
Doctor Chen had studied this for years. He likely already had guesses about the outcome—and might have been watching Yanyan’s streams all along.
He and Yanyan rarely went out. If anything had happened to them, the moment they were forced into a car, the Si family’s bodyguards would have crushed Doctor Chen without mercy.
At that moment, Luo Huoxi appeared.
A pet in mutation phase, with an irresponsible owner—what a perfect target.
Si Jingce sighed. “He may be old, but he surfs the internet faster than you.”
“Stop roasting me…” Xiao Li wailed. “I’ll apply to set up a publicity and monitoring department as soon as I get back…”
Yanyan, who had been listening, chirped a reminder.
So what now?
Si Jingce said, “Ask the sparrow where Doctor Chen’s current location is.”
The white sparrow replied, “Next to a very big tree.”
Yanyan: ?
“A really big tree,” the sparrow flapped its wings to demonstrate. “Lots of nests on it.”
The little pearl bird looked increasingly confused.
The white sparrow gave up explaining.
“You want to sneak in and check things out, right?” it said. “I can help you take a look.”
“I may not be as small as you,” it glanced at Yanyan, “but I shouldn’t attract too much attention.”
Of course, it wasn’t doing this for free.
“After I help you, you have to grant my request.”
It stated its wish: “Can you take me with you? I want a life where I don’t have to worry about food.”
“I… I know I look strange,” its voice grew softer. “The others all dislike my white feathers…”
After hearing the request relayed, Xiao Li held out his hand. “Can I examine you?”
The little white puff tilted its head and hopped onto his palm.
Si Jingce looked over—
and saw the sharp keel bone.
Parting the white feathers revealed a prominent, blade-like breastbone.
Albinism in sparrows was usually caused by a genetic mutation, a recessive chromosomal condition. Among their own kind, they often faced exclusion.
Without hesitation, Xiao Li said, “I can take you with me.”
The deal was struck. After feeding it well, he attached the miniature camera he had brought.
Tiny and hidden among the feathers, only a small black lens was visible.
“If you sense danger, don’t go further,” Xiao Li said. “We just need the general location.”
After taking a few final bites, the white sparrow flapped its wings and flew off toward its home.
Si Jingce arranged for clothes to be delivered, had Yanyan turn back into human form and get dressed, then the three of them sat in the car, watching the footage from the camera.
“This is a high-end device I fought hard to get,” Xiao Li said proudly. “Long battery life—just no audio.”
Another phone displayed a map, tracking the sparrow’s location in real time.
After about half an hour, the scenery on screen shifted from the city to a sparsely populated outskirts area. Yanyan soon spotted the massive tree the sparrow had described.
Its once-lush branches were now layered with snow. The white sparrow landed on a branch and easily saw the house behind it.
It was an ordinary self-built residence, with a small yard in front.
And at the entrance lay a big yellow dog, dozing.
Chapter 41 (continued)
After letting the people behind the screen observe the exterior of the house, the white sparrow squeezed in through a half-closed window on the top floor.
The moment they saw the interior, everyone fell silent.
The small space was crammed with cages of all kinds, stacked in a chaotic mess. Inside were various breeds of cats and dogs. Filthy water flowed across the floor, and excrement was everywhere. Even through the screen, the stench seemed overwhelming.
The sparrow flying in through the window startled all the animals inside. Their barking and screeching rose one after another, frightening the sparrow so much it nearly fell to the ground.
Si Jingce finally understood why Doctor Chen didn’t even bother closing the windows.
Perhaps even he couldn’t stand the smell and had to leave them open to air it out.
After finding the stairs, the white sparrow went down one level. This floor was much cleaner than the previous one, but still filled with cages—cats, dogs, and birds all mixed together.
The most eye-catching of all was the birdcage hanging in the center.
The white sparrow slowly flew toward it… and soon saw the crow inside, resting with its eyes closed.
Seeing the bird on the screen, Yanyan’s expression froze slightly.
“Why does it look… fatter?”
Si Jingce pulled up the recording from that earlier PK livestream for comparison.
It was indeed fatter.
The once imposing, powerful crow had turned round and plump—like a black ball.
Hearing movement, it opened its bean-like black eyes and stared straight at the uninvited guest.
“Ah—!” the crow cried out, spreading its wings slightly in an attempt to intimidate the sparrow. But because of its size, the motion looked clumsy, and with a “thud,” it sat right back down inside the cage.
Yanyan: …
Xiao Li looked horrified. “What exactly has he been feeding it?”
Not just the crow—many of the animals in this room looked noticeably chubby.
The white sparrow didn’t forget its mission. Gathering courage, it landed on the cage and explained its purpose:
“A bird with blush on its cheeks sent me to find you. He said… your owner once connected to his livestream during a PK, and you two briefly interacted.”
The crow immediately recognized who it meant.
It tried to regain its fierce posture, but being so fat, it couldn’t even flap properly.
Giving up, it asked, “What does he want with me?”
“To rescue you,” the sparrow replied.
The cage could trap a crow, but not a small sparrow.
It measured the gap between the bars and squeezed right in.
The crow watched the entire process: …
“Rescue me?” it cleared its throat. “How is he going to do that?”
Before Yanyan could hear more, footsteps sounded.
Birds can hear a wider frequency range than humans. The crow reacted instantly and shielded the white sparrow behind its body.
The camera was covered by black feathers, leaving only faint sounds.
The person seemed to place something inside the cage, walked around the room for a bit, and then left.
The white sparrow cautiously peeked out—and saw a full meal placed before the crow: four dishes and a soup.
There was meat and vegetables, all giving off an enticing aroma. Though the sparrow had just eaten, it suddenly felt hungry again.
“Do you want some?” the crow generously pushed the food toward it.
“I’ve been sick recently, something called the mutation phase.” The crow lifted its head. “Honestly, it’s not bad here. I get good food every meal.”
Hearing this, Yanyan wailed dramatically, “Why are mutation phases so different for birds?!”
He clung tightly to Si Jingce’s arm and shook it. “Why can it eat so well, but when I was in my mutation phase, you wouldn’t feed me anything?!”
Si Jingce: “…Sorry.”
“I can explain that!” Xiao Li hurried to defend him. “Animals really shouldn’t eat heavy, oily or salty food—it’s bad for their health. This crow might be eating well, but it’s seriously overweight and needs to slim down…”
Yanyan didn’t listen at all, muttering, “Blanched cabbage… steamed carrot carved into eel shapes… homemade chips without oil or salt…”
Even Si Jingce felt like he had abused a bird back then.
He quickly kissed his sulking boyfriend and coaxed him gently. “When we get back, I’ll take you to that Japanese restaurant again… This time they won’t carve steamed carrots into eel.”
Xiao Li felt like a completely unnecessary third wheel.
Pulling himself together, Yanyan relayed the crow’s thoughts: “It doesn’t want to be rescued.”
Xiao Li blurted out, “Why?”
The white sparrow asked the crow the same thing.
“But this place isn’t good,” the sparrow said, resisting the temptation of the food. “What’s wrong with leaving?”
After seeing the horrifying conditions upstairs, no amount of delicious food could make it want to stay.
The crow replied, “My previous owner wasn’t good to me. He treated me like a money-making tool. Here, I may be locked in a cage, but I don’t worry about food or survival.”
This was clearly Luo Huoxi’s doing.
The white sparrow didn’t know what to say. “But upstairs, I saw many pets. Some even wore pretty clothes and were loved by humans.”
“But they’re not like you. They live in filthy conditions, with no good food… Aren’t you afraid you’ll end up like that one day?”
The crow, having never left the cage, froze. “That shouldn’t happen… This person has been kind enough to feed us.”
The white sparrow said firmly, “A bird wouldn’t lie to another bird!”
The crow hesitated.
Through the camera, Si Jingce had already grasped the situation.
The building had three floors. The second and third floors were filled with animals. The second floor housed those nearing success in the mutation phase, while the third floor contained the “failures.”
“Conservatively, he’s deceived over fifty pets,” Si Jingce said.
Some owners might have been careless like Luo Huoxi. Others might have been desperate, thinking their pets were terminally ill, and had been tricked by Doctor Chen.
Si Jingce quickly came up with a plan. “We can contact legitimate organizations to help rescue the animals here. We can also upload this footage online so owners can reclaim their pets.”
Doctor Chen was working alone—it wouldn’t be hard to deal with him.
Xiao Li hesitated. “But what if this crow refuses to be rescued?”
Si Jingce said, “At a time like this, who cares if it agrees? We can’t wait until it changes its mind. Once it’s out, we can persuade it properly.”
The longer they waited, the worse things would get.
Xiao Li nodded. “Alright, I’ll make the calls.”
Si Jingce added, “In this situation, he can definitely be charged—fraud, intentional property damage…”
“Unfortunately, there are no laws yet regarding mutation phases. He hasn’t crossed into illegal gene editing or cloning either…”
“The sentence probably won’t be very long.”
Yanyan said, “Doesn’t that mean in just a few years, he’ll come out and cause trouble again?”
It really was a headache.
The three fell into a long silence.
After failing to persuade the crow, the white sparrow prepared to return the way it came, flying back toward the small house with the open window.
The shocking scenes on the screen made Xiao Li avert his eyes.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally made up his mind. “I think I have a way.”
…
After confirming the time of action, Xiao Li stayed behind to wait for the white sparrow’s return, while Si Jingce and Yanyan headed back to the hotel.
The sky outside had already begun to darken. Yanyan shivered from the cold, pressing tightly against Si Jingce.
“There’s nothing more for now,” Si Jingce wrapped an arm around him. “I’ll hire the best lawyer. He’s already old—we’ll try to keep him locked up as long as possible.”
Yanyan didn’t fully understand human laws yet. He only knew Doctor Chen would be imprisoned, so he nodded.
When they reached the hotel lobby, they saw Luo Huoxi walking out with a cheerful smile.
Yanyan pointed at him. “What about him? After we rescue the crow, do we give it back to him?”
“Of course not,” Si Jingce said calmly. “Perfect timing. To prevent others from being deceived again, we’ll make an example out of someone with influence—and also help promote your ‘official little organization’ while we’re at it.”
Once Xiao Li improved the structure of the organization, Yanyan would probably have to go back and help.
His little boyfriend was going to be very busy.
When they reached the room door, Yanyan’s stomach suddenly growled.
He held his belly and looked at Si Jingce. “I’m hungry.”
It seemed his mom had brought a lot of food.
Worried his partner might faint from hunger, Si Jingce quickly opened the door and inserted the keycard.
The pitch-dark room instantly lit up.
“I’ll cook for you,” Si Jingce said, changing into slippers and looking down for Yanyan’s.
As he stepped from the entryway into the living room and looked up—he froze.
Someone was sitting in the living room.
Gui Yaying was still wearing the same clothes from earlier. Her bag sat beside her, untouched.
Seeing Si Jingce enter—with Yanyan behind him—she smiled at them.
“You’re back.”
Her voice was gentle, without any obvious emotion.
“Didn’t you say Yanyan was sleeping in the room?” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Why did he come back from outside?”
“And…”
She paused.
“The pearl bird you took out—where is it?”
