Chapter 56
Why do humans always come up with such strange requests?
Yanyan’s mind spun quickly, and he immediately said to the chat, “There’s no way, the bird is timid, you can’t just touch it casually.”
He added, “Only brother can touch him.”
[Wuwuwu, but lcberg hasn’t posted any pretty bird photos in a long time.]
Yanyan saw that and casually clicked into Si Jingce’s Weibo.
A homepage that used to be full of bird photos had now turned into subtle displays of affection—hands accidentally entering the frame while eating, two shadows under a streetlamp, photos that seemed to be of flowers but were actually showing off the blurry figure behind them.
It really had been a long time since any proper bird photos were posted!
Only bird claws, bird shadows…
Yanyan put away his phone. “Alright, I’ll have brother take some photos and upload them later.”
He closed Weibo, quickly found Si Jingce, stuffed the phone into his hands, and started taking off his clothes. “Brother, hurry and take pictures of me.”
“?” Si Jingce immediately pulled his clothes back up. “You can’t take that kind of photo casually.”
Yanyan’s hand was caught, and he stared blankly at him. “Why not? Didn’t you take a lot before?”
Si Jingce denied instantly, “I didn’t.”
They looked at each other for a moment. Yanyan tilted his head and said slowly, “You did take a lot. Your Moments and Weibo are full of pearl bird photos. Fans have been saying they haven’t seen the bird in a long time and miss it.”
Oh. That kind of photo.
Si Jingce silently let go.
The boy tossed his coat aside, quickly turned into a bird, stood on the sofa, and struck a pose.
The little tan bird puffed itself up, lifted one claw, trying to look majestic as if ready to take flight.
Si Jingce raised his phone, then lowered it again. “This pose won’t do. It looks too forced.”
Yanyan awkwardly lowered his foot. “Chirp?”
Then what kind of pose?
The man lowered his head and held out his hand. The little bird immediately hopped over, landing in his palm, its feathers brushing softly and ticklishly against his skin.
Yanyan—small enough to be held in one hand.
Its tiny claws hooked onto his ring finger. Si Jingce gently rubbed from Yanyan’s head to its blush-colored cheeks, and the bird immediately leaned into his fingers in comfort.
Here too, rub here!
After filming enough footage, Si Jingce stopped.
Yanyan bit onto his finger.
“Alright.” He showed the video on his phone. “If you think it’s okay, just upload this to Weibo.”
Soon, a new post appeared on Yanyan’s nearly abandoned account.
[PineappleSweetDonut: Birdy!
]
Comments flooded in immediately.
[That’s not your hand, is it? [thinking.jpg]]
[Ahhh I’m dead, such a soft little bird…]
Even Si Jingce left a comment: [Cute.]
[? lcberg, clarify—who’s cute, the bird or your wife?]
[Deadly question, better think carefully, lcberg.]
After a long while, lcberg finally replied: [Yanyan is cute.]
This vague answer didn’t satisfy anyone and only made people press him further.
[You think we don’t know both the person and the bird are called Yanyan?]
[Say it clearly, or both the human and the bird will cry little pearls.]
Si Jingce smiled, put down his phone, looked at Yanyan, and gently kissed his cheek.
“Both human form and bird form are cute,” he said softly. “I like Yanyan the most.”
Today’s stream was longer than usual. After helping many pet owners solve their problems—and with it being free—his reputation spread along with it.
Checking the newcomer rankings, Yanyan had successfully entered the top five.
There were ten days left until the rankings ended.
At this stage, many people started grinding hours—some streamed over ten hours a day. Yanyan was also forced to increase his streaming time.
He kept a cup of warm water by his side during streams, taking a sip whenever he got tired, occasionally even playing games together with Si Jingce on stream.
In the final two days, Yanyan finally struggled his way up to second place.
“There’s still a gap of forty thousand popularity points from first place,” Yanyan sighed. “Feels like it’ll be hard to improve in the last two days.”
Si Jingce patted his head. “You’ve already done great.”
It sounded like he was coaxing a child, and Yanyan didn’t like it. He angrily bumped his head against Si Jingce’s chest.
Second place was good, but he still really wanted first place.
Then he could use his “family privilege” to ask Second Uncle to arrange for Si Jingce to present him the award at the ceremony.
Yanyan glanced again at the gap between himself and first place.
Forty thousand points—maybe still possible to push a bit more.
At that moment, the bird intelligence network finally brought news about Luo Huoxi.
“I’ve been keeping watch outside the tree for a long time!” The sparrow puffed up proudly, reporting its findings to Yanyan. “He was preparing to leave—I saw him packing—but for some reason he didn’t go. Now he eats very delicious noodles every day, and there’s also a fierce big cat at home.”
“But that cat is pitiful. It only eats his leftovers.”
Luo Huoxi didn’t seem like someone who would raise a cat. After hearing this, Yanyan glanced at the crow who had arrived a few days ago.
The crow said coldly, “Serves it right. That cat used to fight me every day.”
One could imagine how fierce their fights had been.
From Yanyan’s standpoint, it wasn’t appropriate to ask the crow to be more tolerant of the cat, so he simply kept quiet and scattered several handfuls of bird feed on the balcony as thanks to the sparrow.
Next, they had to set off early to check Luo Huoxi’s situation.
A crow and a pearl bird stood on the balcony railing, making Si Jingce’s heart jump in alarm.
Especially in winter—birds only had that thick layer of feathers for warmth. Worried his boyfriend might feel cold, he, under the crow’s confused and slightly displeased gaze, put a tiny warm vest on Yanyan.
The pearl bird was dressed in a light yellow little outfit, which already felt a bit unnecessary—but Si Jingce still thought Yanyan might be cold, so he even wrapped a tiny scarf around him.
He looked like a little doll.
The crow, taking advantage of the fact that Si Jingce couldn’t understand bird language, openly grumbled, “What is this? Playing dress-up?”
Yanyan shot back, “What do you know? A bird with no partner.”
The crow truly didn’t understand. Its feathers were already enough to keep warm, and it wasn’t even that cold here—wouldn’t wearing clothes just make him more noticeable?
Yanyan, however, didn’t notice at all, listening absentmindedly as Si Jingce patiently reminded him, “Just take a look from outside the window. Don’t take risks.”
“They already called the police a few days ago. No matter how much Luo Huoxi tries to run, he won’t get far. Find out where he’s staying and come back quickly.”
Yanyan nodded distractedly.
After eating their fill, the big crow and the small pearl bird set off, following the sparrow to find Luo Huoxi.
Before becoming a streamer, Luo Huoxi hadn’t been well-off. He used to live in a rundown apartment. After the incident, he quickly sold his place and moved back here.
The crow flew faster, landing on a tree branch to wait. After quite a while, a small bird wearing clothes slowly flew over from afar.
Yanyan landed beside him, panting. “He lives on the fifth floor?”
The crow’s expression darkened further. He glanced up at the fifth floor and, without waiting for Yanyan to catch his breath, said, “Let’s go take a look.”
Yanyan: …
The two birds flew to the balcony. The windows weren’t sealed—inside, they could only see a tabby cat sleeping in a corner of the living room. No sign of a person.
“That cat—is it the one you know?” Yanyan asked. “Why isn’t anyone here?”
Seeing his old enemy, the crow’s mood became complicated. “It’s that one.”
Then they hadn’t come to the wrong place.
Hearing chirping from outside, the cat’s ears twitched. It turned its head toward Yanyan and the crow.
Its eyes widened, and it immediately ran over, pressing its front paws against the glass door between the balcony and the living room, meowing nonstop at them.
Its pink paw pads flexed, faintly revealing sharp claws hidden in soft fur.
Yanyan: …
Thankfully, he was almost desensitized now—otherwise he would’ve already hidden behind the crow.
“So dangerous,” Yanyan said. “What if the cat sees birds outside and runs out? This is the fifth floor—if it falls, even if it doesn’t die, it’ll end up in the hospital.”
The crow replied, “Do you really expect him to install window guards for a pet?”
After hearing that, Yanyan asked a soul-piercing question: “Then why didn’t you escape when the windows weren’t sealed before?”
The crow froze, shut his eyes, and refused to admit how he had once slammed into the glass repeatedly while trying to escape.
Footsteps suddenly came from inside.
Yanyan and the crow immediately hid, watching Luo Huoxi walk out of the room in a disheveled state.
His beard hadn’t been shaved for days, his face looked haggard—clearly exhausted from recent events.
“What are you making noise for?” Luo Huoxi kicked the tabby impatiently. “Damn, I should’ve left you there instead of bringing you along.”
The cat scratched frantically at the glass door, trying to alert him about something outside.
Luo Huoxi only frowned, opened the door, and let the cat onto the balcony.
“Would be better if you fell to your death,” he muttered. “Then I wouldn’t have to buy cat food anymore.”
Yanyan felt conflicted watching this.
The crow sneered. “That’s how he is. Doesn’t want blood on his own hands, so he lets others do the dirty work.”
The cat immediately rushed out, searching for the two birds. Luo Huoxi yawned and went back inside to deal with other things.
Balconies like this usually had a drainage hole near the base. The crow flew over and called out, attracting the cat’s attention.
A pair of feline eyes immediately appeared in the opening. The cat glanced at him, then stubbornly reached out with its paw to grab the crow.
“Hey, buddy, buddy!” the crow jumped back. “Let’s put aside our cat-bird grudges for now and talk, alright?”
He tried to reason gently, but the tabby bared its teeth. “Who’s your buddy? Trying to mess with me again?”
Yanyan fell silent.
It seemed… in their past conflicts, the crow had definitely been the one with the upper hand.
The crow didn’t bother arguing and stepped aside. “You talk a lot—go talk to him.”
Yanyan: ?
He felt like he’d just been insulted. Confused, he stepped forward to negotiate. “Don’t grab me first. We’re not here to fight this time.”
The tabby stared straight at the small bird.
It had never seen something this tiny before! And it was even wearing cute little clothes… how were those even made?
The cat tried to paw at Yanyan’s scarf, failed, then licked its paw. “So what do you want to talk about?”
Yanyan pointed toward the room with his wing. “Your owner has offended a lot of people outside and is about to be finished. We’re here to collect evidence… we’re not asking for your help, just don’t stop us and don’t make any noise.”
“Why should I help you?” the tabby glanced at him. “He treats me badly, sure—but if he gets arrested, what’s in it for me? I’ll just become a stray.”
That wouldn’t necessarily happen. If Luo Huoxi couldn’t repay his debts, everything in the house would be auctioned off, including finding a new owner for the cat—although, for a regular tabby, not many people might bid…
Yanyan thought for a moment. “I’ve seen other cats raised by humans. They get canned food every meal, sometimes even meat that’s more expensive than what humans eat, and they have cozy beds.”
“If you’re willing, I can help you find a very good owner.”
The tabby looked at Yanyan’s outfit. “Then I want your owner.”
Yanyan: “Pah, keep dreaming.”
Now he finally understood why the crow fought this cat every day.
They barely reached an agreement. The tabby stopped blocking them, and Yanyan took the chance to fly inside.
The crow lingered for a moment, then suddenly swooped down mischievously, pecked the cat’s head, and pulled out a few strands of fur.
The tabby exploded instantly. “Miaow—!”
“What are you yelling for?!” Luo Huoxi’s voice came from inside. “Make another sound and I’ll throw you off the building.”
Now both birds and the cat behaved.
According to the intel, Luo Huoxi had written down lists of victims and accomplices in a notebook.
If he still had time to extort people after fleeing, that notebook must have been brought along.
What Yanyan feared most was that it had been locked in a cabinet.
After searching around, he found nothing suspicious in the living room. He turned his attention to the study and bedroom.
He needed to lure Luo Huoxi out.
He tried nudging a pen off the table.
With a soft sound, Luo Huoxi inside only clicked his tongue.
Yanyan tried pushing a vase next—but it wouldn’t budge.
The tabby cat came closer, stretched out its paw, and gave a hard push.
With a loud crash, the vase shattered on the floor, glass shards scattering everywhere. The sound of Luo Huoxi putting on his shoes came from inside, and the little troublemakers instantly scattered in fright.
Yanyan nearly ran straight into Luo Huoxi. He froze stiff among the decorations, pretending to be a little bird figurine.
His size was too small to draw attention. Luo Huoxi, furious, searched the room for the tabby cat, and Yanyan took the chance to slip into the study.
The desk was a mess—there was hardly anywhere to step.
Yanyan lifted his wings, struggling to push aside the clutter, and actually managed to spot something.
The crow slipped in as well and glanced at the notebook on the desk. “Yun Li?”
“It’s Yunduan,” Yanyan was truly speechless at this illiterate crow.
This was probably the list of victims Luo Huoxi had written.
He had the habit of recording things—basically handing over evidence on a silver platter.
Yanyan picked a green notebook, nudged it open with his head, and squeezed inside.
From the outside, the crow could only see the notebook bulging slightly, wriggling.
After a moment, a little pearl bird head popped out from the other side. Yanyan struggled free, his tail feathers getting caught, leaving a small feather behind.
“These two.” Yanyan patted the green notebook with his wing, then the blue one. “Let’s take both.”
The crow easily grabbed the green notebook with its claws, but for Yanyan, it was much harder.
The victim list was just as important. He tried to pick it up with his beak, but in the end only managed to tear off a single page.
Forget it—this would have to do.
The pearl bird struggled to take off with a sheet of paper bigger than himself. Just as the two birds were about to fly out of the study, Luo Huoxi suddenly appeared at the doorway, staring in shock at the crow and pearl bird that had appeared out of nowhere.
“What the—am I seeing things?!” Seeing what they were holding, Luo Huoxi immediately rushed forward.
Humans couldn’t fly. The crow darted upward, while the cat below lunged at Luo Huoxi’s leg and bit down hard.
At that moment, urgent knocking sounded from outside the door. Luo Huoxi had no time to think—he tried to secure his evidence, but in the blink of an eye, the two birds had already landed on the balcony.
He suddenly noticed the small white patch near the crow’s beak.
This was the crow he used to keep!
And that pearl bird… was wearing clothes…
Luo Huoxi had been secretly watching Si Jingce’s streams lately—like a loser looking up at someone successful, lurking in the shadows.
And in his spare time… Si Jingce often made bird nests and little outfits for his pet bird.
This was lcberg’s pearl bird!
What kind of sorcery was this—how could lcberg make his pets do his bidding?!
Luo Huoxi gritted his teeth. Afraid of scaring them off, he softened his voice. “Don’t go, stay here… I’ll get you something to eat.”
He swallowed nervously, trying to coax them while slowly approaching.
Yanyan had paper in his beak and couldn’t speak clearly. He let out a muffled chirp at the crow. “Chiu?”
Aren’t we leaving?
The crow stared at Luo Huoxi intently, as if preparing to do something.
The knocking grew louder—and then suddenly stopped. Everything fell into silence.
The crow placed the notebook on the balcony, then suddenly lunged forward, pecking Luo Huoxi’s head several times with full force.
“Ah—ah!”
Luo Huoxi flailed wildly, trying to drive the crow away. The hard beak struck again and again against his head, while its untrimmed claws left shocking streaks of blood across his face.
Even Yanyan, watching from the side, felt the pain.
With a loud bang, the door was forced open, and a group of people rushed in.
The crow froze mid-motion and looked up—
It was the police.
The officer in front first glanced at Luo Huoxi, who had been pecked down to the ground, then at the pearl bird on the windowsill… holding a piece of paper in its beak, wearing a tiny outfit…
?
Wait—what on earth is going on here?
