“I’m so tired from playing.”
Zhu Niao hugged the stuffed toy in her arms and said this to Gou Yu under the golden glow of the evening sun.
Gou Yu had truly accompanied her the entire day, playing whatever she wanted to play.
This might have been the most compliant he had ever been with Zhu Niao. He had no idea how much she’d suffered while he wasn’t around, but now that she was with him, he couldn’t allow her to endure anything unpleasant.
Of course, when Zhu Niao got cheeky with him in the middle of it all, he still gave her a proper smack or two.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Were you dazzled by your dad’s mad skills?” Zhu Niao leaned in close to his face.
She was talking about the balloon-popping mini-game. Their couple’s pass included one free try each.
And somehow, this little bird managed to win the grand prize—the giant plush dog she was now clutching to her chest.
With the large black-and-white dog in her arms, Zhu Niao looked even smaller and more childlike than usual.
“You didn’t even look through the scope or touch the grip. You know full well how much dumb luck was involved.”
Gou Yu roasted her mercilessly and casually reached over to take the oversized plushie that clearly didn’t fit Zhu Niao’s frame. He tucked it under his arm.
“I’m just helping you carry it. I wouldn’t be caught dead fighting you over a kid’s toy.”
“It’s not a kid’s toy! His name is Bruce!” Zhu Niao shot him a glare and protested.
She really was like a child sometimes.
Gou Yu rarely saw Zhu Niao like this—completely letting go of all her burdens, playing like a carefree little kid, fully immersed in the moment.
And that’s exactly why he didn’t know how to come clean with her.
Zhu Niao had truly run away because of family problems and was now surviving all alone in this cutthroat jungle of a world.
Meanwhile, he had all sorts of fallbacks. His family conflicts barely counted as real problems. At best, he was just “experiencing life.”
But he had seen with his own eyes how hard the journey had been for her.
Only at moments like this could Zhu Niao finally relax a little, chirping like a carefree little bird.
“Later, drop me off at work, and you can take Bruce home first.”
Zhu Niao took a deep breath and opened her beautiful eyes—but the stars in them had dimmed.
“You still have work tonight?” Gou Yu asked, frowning as he held onto the plush toy.
“Yeah. I only came out today because it’s the night shift and tomorrow’s the weekend.” Her voice dropped ever so slightly, almost unnoticeably.
But Gou Yu noticed it. And yet—he couldn’t do anything about it.
He simply nodded woodenly, handed the plush dog back to her, and swung a leg over the electric scooter.
Behind him, Zhu Niao slung an arm over his shoulder and clambered onto the backseat, clearly worn out.
“Private Gou Yu, mission start!” she declared, clutching Bruce to her chest.
But the energy and cheer from earlier were gone.
Maybe it was just the long day at the amusement park catching up with her.
Gou Yu glanced at the scooter’s rearview mirror and reached back to press the squirming Zhu Niao down onto the seat, then turned and gently helped her put on her helmet.
On the way back, Zhu Niao’s chirpy voice never came again.
Through the rearview mirror, Gou Yu could see her hugging the massive plush dog, staring quietly out at the scenery passing by.
Her gaze in moments like this was especially sorrowful and profound—carrying a maturity far beyond her years.
But she was never meant to be like this.
Gou Yu furrowed his brow.
He should be doing something for Zhu Niao. But what could he possibly do?
Somehow, he suddenly thought of the kiss before they entered the amusement park. It felt like the warmth still lingered on his cheek.
Then, he lowered his gaze to his left wrist. The red string bracelet was still there, with the little bird charm dangling gently beneath it.
“Hey, hey! Private Gou Yu, are you biking without watching the road? You planning to run us off a cliff or what? Stop the damn bike!” Zhu Niao started smacking Gou Yu on the head with the giant stuffed dog from the back seat.
Only then did Gou Yu realize he had nearly missed the stop and quickly pulled the bike to a halt.
As soon as he did, Zhu Niao shoved the stuffed toy into his arms and hopped off the bike without hesitation.
She almost twisted her ankle from landing too hard.
“All right, you can go now.”
With a grand wave of her hand, Zhu Niao dismissed him like a general sending off a subordinate.
Then she turned around and took a deep breath.
Time to go face the store manager. She had no idea how this was going to end.
In comparison, the trip to the amusement park really did feel like the wild joy of the last day of vacation without homework.
She walked toward the familiar glass door, but what greeted her before the handle was the soft chill of the store’s air conditioning.
The store manager opened the door before she could reach it. “Xiao Zhu-jie, what are you doing coming in to work today?”
Zhu Niao froze for a moment, then felt a sinking sensation in her chest.
So it was about to happen—she was getting fired. What a shame. It had been such an easy, relaxing part-time job.
She turned to leave, but the manager grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
“Well, since you’re here, you might as well pick up your bonus.” The red-haired beauty grinned and pulled Zhu Niao into the shop.
Then she threw a playful wink toward the e-bike outside.
It was enough to make Gou Yu, who had just been about to leave, freeze on the spot.
“Bonus?” Zhu Niao frowned. “What bonus?”
“You went to the amusement park today, right? And you even used both tickets. That counts as a business errand. Of course I have to give you a bonus.” The manager said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Uh…?”
Zhu Niao started to realize that the situation had gone in a very different direction than she’d imagined.
“But I…”
“You two had fun, didn’t you?” The manager placed her hands on Zhu Niao’s shoulders and gently turned her around so she could see Gou Yu on the bike—currently digging his nose.
Realizing he was being watched, Gou Yu quickly pulled his finger out and wiped it on the stuffed dog’s fur.
Zhu Niao made a mental note to make him wash his hands later.
“As long as you two had a good time, that’s all I was aiming for,” the manager said softly.
She had already figured out the biggest hang-up her future sister-in-law had—Zhu Niao simply didn’t know how to naturally accept kindness from others.
It was like there was a missing piece inside her. The moment someone treated her well, her first instinct was suspicion. Suspicion of others’ intentions… and then, self-doubt.
Clearly, her good little brother still had a long way to go.
“Come, come, right over here…” The manager ushered her to the counter and bent down to pull out a cardboard box. “Ta-da! Employee gift box!”
Zhu Niao leaned forward and peeked inside.
Clothes, accessories, snacks.
No cash—because if there had been money, she definitely wouldn’t have accepted it.
The glass door opened again. This time, Zhu Niao stepped out holding the box in her arms.
“What’s all this?” Gou Yu asked as he took the box from her.
“Go home and scrub off the boogers you left on Bruce.” Zhu Niao said fiercely, but she was smiling the whole time.