Chapter 48
The air fell into dead silence.
Tangguo didn’t realize how awkward the situation was. She scooped the little bird from Si Jingce’s hand and brought it right up to Gui Yaying.
“Auntie, bird bird!”
Yanyan was caught off guard, suddenly meeting the woman’s gaze.
Gui Yaying’s face enlarged in front of him. He could clearly see the shock and disbelief on her face.
The little bird panicked. The little bird shrank into a ball.
In a flash, it flew onto Si Jingce, diving into his collar, leaving only a small camel-colored head peeking out.
Si Jingce covered the bird inside his collar and said calmly, “The follow-up is done. It’s back.”
Gui Yaying gave him a long, deep look.
She didn’t dare ask how the bird had come back.
She didn’t dare ask where Yanyan had gone.
And she definitely didn’t dare ask why Si Jingce was holding Yanyan’s clothes.
“Get in the car first.” Gui Yaying closed her eyes and gave up resisting. “Your dad and your second uncle still have things to handle. I’ll take you two back first.”
Si Jingce first carried Tangguo into the car, then took the Java sparrow to find a place to change clothes.
Not long after, Gui Yaying saw Yanyan return together with Si Jingce.
But there was no sign of the bird.
Yanyan and Si Jingce sat properly in the back seat. Gui Yaying then indirectly asked Tangguo, “What did brother play with you just now?”
Tangguo’s eyes lit up. She immediately waved her hands around, describing excitedly, “Touched bird bird! And—roc spreads wings!”
The human toddler spoke haltingly, blurting things out innocently, “Yanyan brother—turn into bird bird!”
The final layer of cover was torn away.
Through the rearview mirror, Gui Yaying saw both Si Jingce and Yanyan avert their eyes guiltily.
She had never dared to think in this direction before. But once she knew the truth, all the previous doubts suddenly lined up.
Yanyan’s full name was Si Yanyan. The surname “Si” wasn’t common. A boy with that surname appearing out of nowhere, with no background, was indeed strange.
But on second thought, many owners liked giving their pets their own surname.
For example, the two cats at home—one called Gui Dapang, the other Si Erpang…
So Si Yanyan didn’t seem strange anymore.
As for why Yanyan followed Si Jingce around calling him “Brother”…
Madam Gui Yaying fell into silence.
Probably because she had directly assigned him the position of “fourth child” back then.
The two looked like they had just started dating, but perhaps they had long since crossed the line—maybe even moved their household registration together already.
Gui Yaying took a deep breath. “The specialist who treated Yanyan… and that Doctor Chen… are they in the same research field?”
Si Jingce answered directly, “Yes. Both study small animals.”
Which meant—there were already people researching animals turning into humans.
Gui Yaying processed this and felt a wave of lingering fear.
Combining it with the recent news, Doctor Chen had once tried to get her investment and also wanted to take the bird for research.
Luckily, she had listened to advice and cut losses in time.
“So… there are many small animals like Yanyan?” Gui Yaying asked.
Si Jingce: “Mm.”
Her feelings became even more complicated.
By that logic, Yanyan probably turned human when he was sick.
That explained why, when she first met him, he seemed so naive—his behavior naturally carried a kind of innocence that made people laugh but not feel annoyed.
As for things like… being separated from his parents—
Yanyan was a very pretty camel-colored Java sparrow.
His parents probably wouldn’t look bad either… most likely they had been taken in by another bird owner.
One clue after another, hidden in small details, was dug up. Gui Yaying’s worldview was completely overturned.
Java sparrows were chatty little creatures.
She had always watched the two boys’ livestreams. When Si Jingce streamed alone, there would always be chirping sounds in the background.
But when Yanyan streamed, there were no bird sounds at all.
Gui Yaying didn’t mind that her son was dating a boy…
But now she was being told that her son’s partner was a male bird.
“You two…”
A thousand words gathered in her throat, but in the end, she only sighed inwardly.
From now on, she wouldn’t be able to sneak out with Da Pang and Er Pang to secretly pet the little bird anymore.
“How are you going to tell your father about this?” Gui Yaying said. “His health isn’t good—you need to organize your words carefully and explain it clearly.”
Yanyan helplessly looked at the man beside him.
Si Jingce held his hand and said, “Since you already know, just mention it to him.”
Gui Yaying: …
So this was where he had been waiting for her.
Who knew what Si Jingce and Yanyan had been doing— even Tangguo knew Yanyan was a bird transformed.
Children couldn’t keep secrets. Gui Yaying didn’t forget to patch things up and immediately said gently to Tangguo, “Yanyan brother is human. He can’t turn into a bird.”
Tangguo looked confused. “But…”
“Brother already had someone take the bird home first,” Gui Yaying said softly. “Next time we’ll let them bring the bird out again to play, okay?”
The human toddler’s mind twisted into knots, struggling over whether people could turn into birds. After a while, she yawned sleepily and obediently leaned into Yanyan’s arms, falling asleep.
What kind of situation was this…
Gui Yaying suddenly recalled the video she had just watched at the dinner table.
The little bird had always been very cute. But ever since she learned it was actually Yanyan… everything started to feel off.
During livestreams, the tiny Java sparrow would boldly burrow into Si Jingce’s clothes, playing hide-and-seek inside.
It would also obediently stay tucked in his collar. When he got tired from gaming, her son would lower his head and kiss the bird’s little head.
And then… flick the bird’s butt.
Gui Yaying chose her words carefully. “Your second uncle treats you quite well.”
Si Jingce: ?
“When you’re streaming, pay attention to your limits. Keep things within bounds,” Gui Yaying said tactfully. “Now that you have so many fans, your influence is bigger… don’t let your second uncle end up being invited for ‘tea.’”
Si Jingce: …
Si Jingce: “At that time, I didn’t know.”
He didn’t know Yanyan could turn into a human.
He had only thought that the way the bird puffed up angrily after getting its butt flicked was especially cute.
The whole ride had been unbearably awkward.
Gui Yaying dropped them off at the hotel entrance. Even after getting out of the car, Yanyan was still in a daze.
When the car drove away, his muddled mind gradually cleared. He glanced at Si Jingce, pursed his lips, and asked, “Mom knows already?”
Si Jingce: “She knows.”
He had long known the risk of being exposed this time was high, so he was mentally prepared. It didn’t affect him much.
Yanyan, however, let out a miserable “aowu” and covered his face.
“Did Mom get scared by me?” the boy said gloomily. “I forgot to tell her—I won’t eat people.”
Si Jingce chuckled, pulling his hands down, ready to tell him an even harsher truth.
“You don’t need to worry about Mom being scared of you,” Si Jingce said. “What you should worry about… is that they just watched your video at the dinner table, and then found out you were the bird in it.”
That video just now…
Wasn’t that the one where his butt got flicked in front of all the elders?
Yanyan completely shattered.
Before the New Year, he would not be attending any family gatherings.
…
After sending Tangguo home, Gui Yaying returned to the temporary place she was staying with Si De.
Right now, the most important thing was figuring out how to explain to Si De that their son’s boyfriend was actually a male bird.
As soon as she entered, she saw Si De on a video call.
On the screen, the housekeeper held up the phone, pointing the camera at the cat bed. Two orange cats were playing with a teasing wand.
“Da Pang, Er Pang, do you miss Dad?” Si De spoke much more gently to his two “cat sons.” “Mom and Dad will be home in a few days.”
The two cats on the screen were completely indifferent.
Ever since Gui Yaying learned that animals could turn into humans, such a warm scene suddenly felt… a bit strange.
No, she couldn’t think like that.
She quickly shook off those bizarre thoughts and walked over.
Si De immediately handed her the phone, smiling. “Look at our son—so handsome and upright.”
Gui Yaying took the phone. Da Pang had his back to the camera, licking his fur, grooming himself into the shape of “gun legs.”
She hung up the call directly.
Si De: “? What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
Gui Yaying rummaged through the medicine cabinet, found Si De’s fast-acting heart pills, and placed them on the table.
She sat down seriously across from him. “I need to tell you something. Prepare yourself mentally.”
Seeing her like this, Si De also straightened his attitude. “Go ahead.”
She needed to organize her thoughts. She didn’t even know where to begin.
How was she supposed to tell him?
That your son’s boyfriend is actually a bird?
Or that Yanyan the human is the bird itself?
Worried that Si De might not accept it, Gui Yaying chose a gentler approach. “If… someone in our family was originally an animal… would you be able to accept it?”
After saying this, she quietly observed his expression.
Si De frowned slightly. “You mean, Yanyan…?”
He guessed it immediately!
Gui Yaying steadied herself. If Si Jingce had told her directly, she would’ve thought he’d gone crazy.
Since Si De seemed receptive, the rest would be easier to explain.
“Let me guess what his original form is.” Si De gestured a small circle in the air. “That little Java sparrow he raised… about this big?”
Gui Yaying smiled in relief. “Yes. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to accept it.”
Si De looked at her quietly for a long time, making Gui Yaying feel increasingly uneasy.
“There’s nothing hard to accept,” Si De finally said.
“Yanyan is such a tiny bird, how could he harm anyone?” He even comforted her instead. “It’s fine—as long as Si Jingce likes him, and he likes Si Jingce, that’s enough.”
Hearing this, Gui Yaying finally felt relieved.
It seemed that the most conservative one in the family was actually her.
That’s true—it’s just her son dating a Java sparrow, nothing that serious.
Gui Yaying slowly put away the heart pills. Just as she turned around, Si De suddenly hugged her for no reason.
Gui Yaying: ?
Then she watched as Si De took out his phone and walked into the room.
Gui Yaying tiptoed after him. She saw him skillfully dial the housekeeper’s number, looking completely at a loss. “What should I do if Madam is sick?”
“She’s been saying strange things nonstop. I could only go along with her.”
From Gui Yaying’s angle, she could even see him wiping away tears that were about to fall.
“Find the best specialists in the country immediately to treat Madam!” Si De’s voice carried a slight sob. “No matter how much it costs, you must cure her!”
Gui Yaying: …………
She finally understood why Si Jingce hadn’t told them the truth directly.
