Zhu Niao’s chest heaved up and down. After who knew how many deep breaths, she finally spoke.
“Don’t you feel disgusted with yourself?” she said, as if she was pouring out all her grievances. “First, you kicked me out of the house just so you could have your little world with the Store Manager, and then you left her behind and ran out to find me.”
Little Bird’s tone was tinged with a bit of viciousness: “Either stop looking for her, or stop coming to find me!”
Gou Yu wasn’t as petite as Zhu Niao, so when he curled up under the eaves, half of his body was always exposed to the rain.
But he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him right now was the delicate, broken girl before him.
“Yes, I just want both.”
He knew that no matter how he explained himself, Zhu Niao wouldn’t listen right now.
“I just wanted to keep both of you by my side. When I realized I’d lost you, I ran out to look for you.” Gou Yu said, “I really am this disgusting, so what?”
Zhu Niao froze. She hadn’t expected Gou Yu to admit it so directly, or with such confidence.
Drip, drip—the rain kept falling.
“It’s my fault, Little Bird.” Gou Yu said, “There won’t ever be something like this again.”
Zhu Niao still didn’t look back, but she noticed the kitten in her arms had started to tremble.
Was it because she was holding it while soaking wet?
She didn’t know. But she was always doing things that disappointed everyone’s expectations, and in the end, she always got kicked out.
She was just wandering alone outside.
A large hand reached around from behind and pulled her into an embrace.
Before she could struggle, a warm, fervent body pressed close to her.
Compared to her own cold, wet body, it was like the warm sun of winter, finally calming her trembling.
The kitten in her arms seemed to find a warmer embrace too. Before Zhu Niao could stop it, it jumped from her shoulder straight into Gou Yu’s arms.
“Little Bird, there will always be a place for you by my side.”
Gou Yu moved a little closer to Zhu Niao: “If I live in a mansion, I’ll save you the biggest room. If I live under a bridge, I’ll give you the cleanest bed.”
“Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
The rain still hadn’t stopped.
But Zhu Niao’s tense body relaxed a little.
“Then what about the Store Manager?” She turned her head just a bit, seeing Gou Yu’s gaze fixed on her, full of concern.
She quickly looked away.
“Her? She’s not as important as you.” Gou Yu noticed Zhu Niao’s tone had softened.
“Really?” Little Bird turned her head again.
Gou Yu replied with certainty: “Absolutely.”
“I swear on my mom.”
“I, Gou Yu, swear on my own mom…”
“That’s really not necessary.” Zhu Niao turned around and covered Gou Yu’s mouth.
Only then did Gou Yu see Zhu Niao’s face.
Still that beautiful, delicate face, but her rain-soaked hair looked a little bedraggled, like a flower standing tall after a storm.
Her eyes were rimmed red, with two wet streaks running from the corners of her eyes down her cheeks.
An inexplicable ache swept through Gou Yu.
His Little Bird was easy to coax, but also so easily wronged. If he wasn’t careful, she’d swallow her bitterness alone, and by the time he noticed, her perfect porcelain shell would be cracking, piece by piece.
But on this drizzly, overcast day, his stubborn Little Bird would definitely insist it was just rain on her face.
“Let’s go. The rain’s going to get heavier soon.” Gou Yu stood up, set the kitten that had burrowed into his arms onto the ground,
then reached out a hand to Zhu Niao.
“Go? Go where?” Still squatting on the ground, Zhu Niao lowered her head at his words.
“Home. Back to our home, just the two of us.”
Zhu Niao looked up.
It was still drizzling, but she felt like the sun was about to come out.
She reached out to take Gou Yu’s hand, but as she stood up, she suddenly paused.
“What’s wrong?”
“My foot’s numb.” A pained look appeared on Zhu Niao’s face—the aftereffect of squatting for too long.
“Mom.” Gou Yu obediently did as Zhu Niao ordered.
“Honestly, you should go to the hospital and see if your ears are blocked with too much earwax.”
Zhu Niao took a deep breath and saw Gou Yu turn his back to her and squat down.
It was clear he meant to carry her home.
Little Bird bit her lip, but still shuffled over, slowly lying onto Gou Yu’s back, her legs slipping into the crook of his arms, her hands wrapping around his neck.
But even after everything was ready, Gou Yu didn’t get up right away.
“What are you doing?”
Zhu Niao craned her neck to see, and noticed Gou Yu was staring intently at something.
It was the little stray cat she’d gotten wet.
Before she could say anything, Gou Yu scooped up the stray cat and placed it on his shoulder.
“Just treat it as another mouth at home to help with the leftovers.”
He said this, stood up with Zhu Niao on his back.
Suddenly, everything felt a little warmer. She didn’t know if it was the kitten nuzzling her cheek, or the burning heartbeat she could hear pressed close.
Or maybe it was a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words.
“Where’s the umbrella you brought when you came over?”
Drenched by the rain, Zhu Niao reached out to pinch Gou Yu, who was carrying her.
Gou Yu was still looking around: “It felt pretty cool to toss it just now, but now I can’t find it at all.”
“Got nothing better to do than act cool?” Zhu Niao grumbled.
“It’s fine, the umbrella probably wasn’t worth much anyway, and it’s soaked through. We’ll just walk back in the rain and take a hot bath.”
Gou Yu was optimistic, a cat on his shoulder and Zhu Niao on his back, heading home.
He even squeezed Zhu Niao’s thigh, tucked into his arm.
“Not an ounce of meat on you. Eat more from now on, get yourself nice and plump.” Gou Yu muttered to himself, “But if you get fat, no one will want you. Doesn’t matter, I’ll still want you no matter how much you eat.”
He paused, then finished, “To render into lard.”
“You really are tired of living.” Zhu Niao said, reaching out to pinch both of Gou Yu’s cheeks.
“Stop pinching, stop pinching, I can’t walk straight.” Gou Yu tried to stop her, but couldn’t.
Still the endless drizzle, but the fine raindrops felt like little brushes, sweeping away all unease.
In the curtain of rain sat a stranger’s car. In the back seat, a girl with long reddish-brown hair leaned against the window, wearing an ‘auntie smile.’
“How nice. I didn’t expect my brother to be so capable.”
The girl realized she might have misunderstood her brother’s romantic situation before.
Her good brother didn’t need her help at all—in fact, her running around trying to help just made her seem unnecessary.
That slightly awkward figure walked slowly through the rain.
Zhu Niao shielded Gou Yu’s back, and Gou Yu shielded Zhu Niao’s front.
The kitten meowed on their shoulders, chattering away.
Zhu Niao and Gou Yu were no longer wandering, and neither was the cat.
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