Outside the high-speed rail station.
This time, it wasn’t the store manager lady sitting in the passenger seat with the driver to pick the two of them up and take them home. It was just the driver alone.
It was the same driver from last time, the very first time Zhu Niao had gone to Gou Yu’s home.
The driver whom Zhu Niao had mistaken for Gou Yu’s father when she got in the car.
Honestly, even if the most perceptive person in the world were here, they’d never guess that the jerk who was fighting her for the last half-pack of pickled mustard greens the day before was actually a rich young master.
Oh, right, by the way, Gou Yu still hadn’t bought new shower gel or shampoo, and was still using Zhu Niao’s.
Laundry detergent too.
The store manager lady not being in the passenger seat to receive them this time probably meant she still had some business to attend to, or perhaps she was already waiting for them at home.
“Young Master, Young Lady.”
The driver opened the door for Zhu Niao and Gou Yu, giving a slight bow.
Zhu Niao could accept the first title, but the second one caught her completely off guard.
“Hey, hey, what did you call me?” Zhu Niao pointed at herself. “Is that appropriate? I’m not a Gou.” “What, do you look down on our family?” Gou Yu was the first to duck into the car.
He’d slept perfectly fine on the high-speed rail, and there was always a faint, sweet fragrance and a pervasive sense of happiness that made his dreams sweet as well.
He dreamed of an ancient world, where he, a prince, found a wife named Zhu Niao, and they lived a blissful, shamelessly happy life.
He also commanded an army of eight hundred thousand. At that moment, the dog emperor in the capital was demanding he surrender his military authority.
So, Gou Yu, who intended to become emperor, set off for the capital with his Empress Zhu Niao.
He discovered the people here could cultivate immortality. He had just drawn his sword when the Zhu Niao beside him slapped him to death with a single Buddha’s Palm.
Turns out Zhu Niao was a princess. As he faded, she left him with one last line: “The struggle for the throne has always been thus.”
Then, the real Zhu Niao really did slap him awake. To this day, he still found the whole thing incredibly dreamlike, even excessively dramatic.
“I don’t look down on your family, I just look down on you specifically.” Zhu Niao frowned, putting on a face of disgust, but still followed Gou Yu into the car.
But Gou Yu knew that Zhu Niao was just feeling awkward and even a bit unworthy because his family treated her as one of their own.
A little bird with low self-esteem was always like this.
So, what should Gou Yu, the person most familiar with this little bird, do now?
He chose to slow down his movements as he climbed into the back seat, lifting his butt just as Zhu Niao happened to look down.
Fortunately, Zhu Niao wasn’t the type to walk without looking, so she didn’t smash her face right into Gou Yu’s rear end.
When she saw the large posterior thrust in front of her, she took a sharp step back, then suddenly smiled a smile of resignation.
She was so angry she laughed.
Then, she lifted her leg and gave Gou Yu’s butt a solid kick.
Gou Yu was kicked inside, Zhu Niao now had space to get in, and the driver completely pretended not to see it—clearly having been specially briefed.
The car started moving. Zhu Niao still wore that look of utter disgust, feeling Gou Yu beside her lean his annoying face closer.
“Can’t you read the expression on my face?” The disdain on Zhu Niao’s face seemed to intensify.
“I can read it,” Gou Yu answered with surprising seriousness. “I’m enjoying it.”
Zhu Niao opened her mouth but couldn’t find words for a long moment.
She laughed.
Not because she was happy, but because she was truly at a loss.
The driver up front displayed remarkable professionalism, not interjecting a single word, just diligently driving to their destination.
Once they arrived, he finally turned his head to check on the situation in the back seat.
Great, they were almost at the point of fighting to the death.
He got out and opened the car door for them. “Young Master, Young Lady, we’ve arrived.”
It was a reminder. Gou Yu, who was pinching both of Zhu Niao’s cheeks, let go. Zhu Niao, who was twisting the soft flesh at Gou Yu’s waist, also released her grip.
Zhu Niao shouldered her small bag. Gou Yu simply put on his jacket.
Yes, he had just used a legendary forbidden technique: covering Zhu Niao’s head with his jacket and pummeling her while she lost her vision.
Zhu Niao suffered from being too proper about dressing. Unlike the sloppy Gou Yu, she buttoned every button neatly, making it impossible to just fling her jacket onto her face like he could.
“Is that your mom standing at the door?”
Zhu Niao seemed to spot something and immediately shrank behind Gou Yu.
Gou Yu looked closely. “It really is. But what are you afraid of? She won’t eat you.” “Not necessarily.” Zhu Niao pointed. “Don’t you think your mom’s gaze is terrifying?”
“That’s kindness, probably because she sees you as family.” Gou Yu rubbed his nose. “She looked at me like that before when I tried to combine cherries and firecrackers to make cherry bombs.”
“Did she eat them?”
“How could it be a cherry bomb if it doesn’t explode on someone?”
Zhu Niao started clapping for Gou Yu.
But the two still walked to the entrance.
Being the most polite one, Zhu Niao spoke before Gou Yu’s mother could. “Hello, Auntie.” She even gave a slight bow, feeling she had done nothing wrong.
“Hmm?”
This sound indicated Gou Yu’s mother was not entirely satisfied with Zhu Niao’s form of address.
“Mom, have you eaten?” Zhu Niao was also someone who could adapt on the spot.
“Ai~” Instantly, the noblewoman before them beamed with joy. “Good girl, I’ve been waiting just for you.”
Then, Gou Yu’s mother shifted her gaze to Gou Yu beside Zhu Niao.
Only then did Zhu Niao realize that the somewhat fierce expression she had seen when they first got out of the car seemed to have been directed at Gou Yu.
Had Gou Yu done something wrong?
The little bird’s brain short-circuited for a moment before remembering why they had come to Gou Yu’s home this time.
Wasn’t it because of that little video Gou Yu had taken of her at the beginning?
Although that video had long since vanished without a trace.
Could it be that Gou Yu’s family was extremely strict about such matters? That it was absolutely unforgivable?
But looking at Gou Yu’s family, they didn’t seem like people overly concerned with face, acting like this in front of her…
Zhu Niao felt a bit confused.
But the noblewoman before her was already holding Zhu Niao’s hand and leading her through the main gate.
She also turned her head and threw a fierce “Brat!” at Gou Yu behind them.
Hearing the scolding, Zhu Niao instinctively shrank her neck, even though it wasn’t aimed at her.
Then, she saw the store manager lady, her reddish-brown long hair as vibrant as ever.
“Ah, Little Zhu.” She greeted with a playful smile, then seemed to suddenly remember something. “It’s okay, Little Zhu. This time, we’re here to help you seek justice.”