Chapter 75: Extra — Let’s Build a Big Bird Nest Together (3)
All the birds froze on the spot, watching as the little pearl finch burrowed into the brahminy kite’s feathers, climbed upward, and stood right on top of the big bird’s head.
The soft fluff on his body swayed gently in the breeze. Suddenly, Yan Yan slipped—but Si Jingce steadied him with a wing.
Bird Mom had been watching for a long time. Now, she couldn’t say a word.
Once or twice might be coincidence—but seeing this, doubting it any further would mean something was wrong with her own head.
Yan Yan was clearly excited seeing Si Jingce in bird form. “Big brother, it’s really you! See? I told you—no matter what you turn into, I’ll recognize you!”
Si Jingce’s heart softened. He nodded. “Mm.”
The little bird affectionately rubbed against his head.
Bird Dad withdrew his stunned gaze, coughed awkwardly, and reminded, “Fourth chick, come back first.”
Hearing him, Yan Yan hesitated, glanced at Si Jingce, then reluctantly flew back to the flock.
“He really won’t eat me!” Yan Yan quickly explained after landing. “Our relationship is really, really good!”
Bird Mom looked at him quietly. “I know.”
Now that Yan Yan had gone through molting, his dull gray chick feathers had faded, replaced by the vibrant plumage of an adult male. He was indeed at the age to leave the nest.
As for him finding a male partner… even a brahminy kite—Bird Mom’s acceptance was surprisingly high.
She took a deep breath and secretly glanced at the tall kite.
He looked fierce, but he treated her fourth chick well. That was enough.
Still, she couldn’t help asking, “So… how exactly did you meet?”
Yan Yan couldn’t tell the truth, so he changed his story. “Let’s just say it was love at first sight.”
Bird Mom puffed up in anger.
She knew this chick never told the truth!
“Then what do you plan to do?” she asked worriedly. “A brahminy kite is a predator. With him around, I’ll feel more at ease… but…”
Pearl finch and brahminy kite…
It was still hard to accept!
“This may sound unbelievable,” Si Jingce suddenly said, “but Yan Yan and I have been together for a long time. We were even engaged and planned a wedding. I used to be human—now I’m a brahminy kite, the predator you fear most. But our feelings won’t be affected by species differences. Because I love him.”
When he first woke up and realized Yan Yan was beside him—and that he himself had turned into a bird—Si Jingce had been extremely panicked.
After asking around, he learned there was a flock of pearl finches nearby.
He couldn’t be sure Yan Yan was here, but he came anyway.
He couldn’t fly, couldn’t hunt, couldn’t build a nest—yet he still walked through the rain, step by step, to get here.
There really was a flock of pearl finches.
And every bird looked the same.
Every morning, he hid and searched among them.
He searched like this for half a month.
Just when he was about to give up, a gray little fluffball suddenly appeared in his sight.
Bird Dad had only known a big bird had been observing them—he hadn’t realized it had been half a month.
But—
He tilted his head in confusion. “Who is Yan Yan?”
Si Jingce paused.
Right—these birds didn’t know Yan Yan’s name.
The fourth chick popped up. “That’s me!”
Bird Dad: “When did you get that name?”
Yan Yan continued confidently, “Not just me—you all have names! Big brother is Zhima, second brother is Tangyuan, sister is Momo…”
Bird Dad was thoroughly confused.
“Then what’s my name? And your mom’s?” he asked.
Yan Yan: “…You’re called Beautiful.”
Bird Dad: “Huh?”
“Mom is Strong.”
Bird Dad: “Oh…”
He muttered to himself, “Who came up with these names…”
“Bird Beautiful” looked slightly shaken.
Bird Mom, however, didn’t mind much. Carefully, she asked, “Then… fourth chick, are you going with him?”
Yan Yan nodded without hesitation.
Now that his brother had turned into a bird and could do everything, of course he had to go with him.
He couldn’t even imagine how Si Jingce had survived these days without him.
“I’ll come back,” Yan Yan said. “Once we find a place to live, I’ll visit!”
At this point, Bird Mom had no choice but to let him go.
The wild was dangerous—but he had grown up. It was time to explore the world.
“Do you want to take some food?” she asked. “Out there, don’t be picky about dirty seeds—don’t starve yourself.”
Yan Yan had already flown onto the kite’s back. “No need.”
Looking at the two birds—one big, one small—Bird Mom fell silent.
With all those clean seeds, Yan Yan probably wouldn’t go hungry.
“Then I’m leaving with big brother!” Yan Yan waved his wings, then grabbed onto Si Jingce’s feathers. “Let’s go!”
Si Jingce flapped his wings—
…then started walking.
Yan Yan: …
So embarrassing.
“Big brother!” Yan Yan snapped. “You must learn to fly within a week!”
Leaving the rapeseed field, Yan Yan finally realized—they were in a human-built wetland nature reserve.
All kinds of animals lived here. There were wooden walkways, and occasionally fishermen or birdwatchers.
Si Jingce led him to his current “home”—under a stone arch bridge by the river, sheltered from wind and rain.
Yan Yan hopped down and looked around. “Not as comfortable as a human house, but for birds, this is basically a luxury mansion.”
…Though not very private.
Pearl finches preferred underground nests for safety. Even as a pet, Yan Yan liked staying in coconut shells.
“This is just temporary,” Si Jingce said. “I’ll learn to build a proper nest.”
Yan Yan thought: You’ve got a lot to learn as a bird.
“Let’s make a plan.”
He scratched the ground with his claws—only to find it spotless. Si Jingce had already cleaned the area.
“I can’t stay here long,” Yan Yan said. “Too close to water—snakes might come. And mosquitoes are so annoying.”
He huffed. “How can something be noisier than birds?”
Given Si Jingce’s size, they couldn’t live in a burrow.
That left only one option—
Trees.
“Pearl finches and brahminy kites don’t usually live together,” Yan Yan said. “Let’s just treat this as a super realistic dream. Even in a dream, we should do it properly!”
But to live in trees, one key condition—
Si Jingce had to learn to fly.
Yan Yan said sternly, “I’ve already taught you. Now you need a proper bird teacher.”
Si Jingce looked slightly guilty. “I’ll learn seriously.”
“Brahminy kites eat fish and sometimes small birds,” Yan Yan explained. “But if you can’t fly, how will you catch food?”
To learn fishing, they needed a bird skilled at it.
At dusk, many birds gathered by the river. Yan Yan soon spotted a suitable “teacher.”
“See that bird? The one fishing.”
Si Jingce looked over.
It had a round body, black back, gray-to-white chest, glowing golden in the sunset, with a long white feather sticking up behind its head.
Si Jingce blinked. “As expected of a dream—there’s even a penguin here.”
Yan Yan: “…That’s a night heron.”
Si Jingce: …
“Same thing. A local penguin is still a penguin.”
Yan Yan suddenly realized another serious problem.
Even if Si Jingce learned to fly—with his eyesight, could he even catch fish?
“Big brother… how did you even get those seeds?”
Si Jingce smiled but didn’t answer.
His eyesight wasn’t great—but not impossible to manage.
“Big brother, what have you been eating these days?”
“Come with me,” he said.
Yan Yan flew onto his back, and they went to find food.
In this wetland, there was no shortage of food—or humans.
Soon, they found a fisherman with full gear, even a portable stove—ready to cook on the spot.
They watched him catch fish after fish.
When he pulled up another one, he suddenly felt a chill.
Turning around, he saw—
A pearl finch and a brahminy kite… staring at his fish.
The fish flopped in his hands.
The kite stepped forward, chirped, and scratched words into the dirt.
The man leaned in—
[Want fish.]
“…What the hell,” he muttered, frozen.
He instinctively handed over the fish.
The kite refused, pointing at the pot.
“You even want it cooked?” the man asked weakly.
He cleaned and fried the fish.
The kite placed a leaf down. The man put the fish on it.
Yan Yan immediately started eating.
The world had become surreal.
Yan Yan hadn’t expected Si Jingce’s “hunting method” was… asking humans for food.
Judging by his skill, he’d been doing this for a while.
“Big brother…” Yan Yan pushed some fish toward him. “You’ve had it rough.”
“It’s fine,” Si Jingce said. “Just returning to my old profession.”
He turned to the stunned fisherman and chirped—
“Thanks for the tip.”
