IBFAIBPMSH Chapter 35

Using a cool wall-dong posture, Bai Gaoxing patiently waits for the other party's response. 

After a long while, the starling in the box finally raises its head. Its black, shiny eyes open wide, then quickly half-droop, looking listless. 

Seeing this, Bai Gaoxing, who initially feels confident, now feels a bit unsettled. He leans in closer and asks in a whisper, "What's wrong with you?"

The starling looks at him again and doesn't say anything. 

Bai Gaoxing feels a twinge of anxiety as he circles the box and sees that the starling doesn't want to struggle inside. He senses that things might be worse than he imagines. 

Could it really be as that person says—depression...?

Looking at the starling's glossy black chest muscles and the perfectly smooth feathers without a single split, Bai Gaoxing is skeptical of this assumption. 

After a stalemate of about several dozen seconds, the starling finally speaks.

"I think," it says, its voice a little hoarse and melancholic, "my life has no meaning."

"!!!" Hearing this, Bai Gaoxing's feathers stand on end, and his pupils suddenly shrink. 

"What's wrong?" he asks hurriedly. "Did something happen?"

A bunch of various guesses pops up in Bai Gaoxing's mind, and he even thinks of the incident involving a kind old man abusing birds—but that seems unlikely.

He crosses out this guess.

"Alas..." The starling sighs for a long time, its posture resembling that of its master, reflecting the vicissitudes of an old man.

Bai Gaoxing grows increasingly anxious; this seems like a very serious matter, but the bird is uncooperative, making it hard to resolve. 

He decides to take a gentle approach: “Those people outside don’t understand the situation. You’re a bird, and I’m a bird too. Can you talk to me?”

The starling raises its eyelids. 

There’s a chance! 

Bai Gaoxing continues to try to get close: "We’ve known each other for such a long time. Is there anything we can't talk about?"

The starling looks at him: "...We’ve only met twice. How can we be close?"

Bai Gaoxing chokes. "Well, at least I hear you talk every day!" You noise-making machine.

The starling seems persuaded by his words and begins to ponder, wanting to say something but stopping. 

Bai Gaoxing adds fuel to the fire, appealing to its feelings and reasoning: "And you said before that you want to accompany your master all the time, so you won't feel bored as long as you're with him. If you can't hold on, how will he live alone? How sad will he be?"

He practically lays his heart bare. “Moreover, if you hadn’t said those things, I wouldn’t even be aware of my role as a pet right now.”

After saying that, Bai Gaoxing looks at the starling expectantly. 

He thinks the starling will immediately open its heart and excitedly become his brother, but instead, he sees the black bird tilt its head with a confused look on its face.

"Ah? Did I say that?"

Bai Gaoxing: "..."

You old fool!

Bai Gaoxing realizes that what the doctor said outside is indeed correct. It’s difficult for starlings to get depressed. He wonders where its brain is!

He knocks hard on the box with his beak and asks, "So what’s wrong with you?"

The starling replies, "I want to mate."

Bai Gaoxing: "...Ah?" He raises his paw and scratches his ear, trying to make sure he isn’t hearing things. 

The starling states seriously, "I want to mate."

Bai Gaoxing immediately takes a big step back, his eyelids twitching. "Are you serious?" He simply doesn’t want to repeat what he just heard.

"You won't understand." The starling's eyes dim, as if lost in thought. "That's a beautiful girl, with black feathers like the night, a beak and long legs like dried egg yolks, and a voice as beautiful as a motorcycle. She is simply my dream lover."

“So you’re suffering from—love sickness?” Bai Gaoxing struggles to spit out those three syllables. He finds it hard to understand.

The starling ignores him, still trapped in memories. "It is a beautiful afternoon. I watch her gently fall in front of my window, with a soft smell of wheat bran on her body, and her figure is lighter than a grasshopper. I believe she must be my destined other half."

It is clear now. Bai Gaoxing is too exhausted to scoff; love makes you eloquent, to the point of not even cursing anymore. "So where do you see her?"

The starling looks at him with bright eyes. "Just outside the window." 

 Oh~ Bai Gaoxing understands now. It must be a starling that escapes from a cage. If feelings have developed, the owner must be worried sick right now.

"So you haven't eaten or drunk anything during this time, just because of this?" Bai Gaoxing asks.

"What do you mean by 'just'?" The starling looks at him contemptuously and snorts. "A little kid like you who hasn't even grown all his feathers won't understand. I'm afraid you haven't even experienced what estrus is."

Bai Gaoxing immediately retorts, "I'm an adult!" At least as a human being.

No, that’s not the point. "But spring is over now!" He remembers that birds are in heat in spring and start laying eggs and brooding during that season.

The starling snorts coldly. "I eat well and have a lot of energy, so why not?"

"Okay, okay..." Bai Gaoxing turns around, jumps off the table, and walks out of the room with a blank expression. 

Outside, Mr. Ren is still talking to the veterinarian.

"If there is really no sign of improvement... I can only suggest that you take it to the next city for examination." The young doctor looks apologetic. "There is a pet hospital with more advanced equipment in the next city, and there’s also a very skilled veterinarian—there are many more people there who have better medical skills than I do."

Mr. Ren sighs in disappointment. “It seems that’s the only way.”

Bai Gaoxing opens his beak and then falls into an odd silence. 

He did ask for the starling, but to say, “Could you find a mate for him? A specific one; the last time she appeared was outside your balcony,” seems outrageous just to think about.

"Dabai?"

Bai Gaoxing looks up at the voice. Li Pu is looking at him helplessly and stretches out his arm. "Come here." 

Hearing the call, he flutters his wings and flies toward the man, shaking as he lands on Li Pu's wrist, then climbs up his shoulder along his sleeve.

"Oh my God, it's so obedient!" The assistant lady who sees this scene displays a surprised look, walking over carefully to ask, "What else can it do?"

Li Pu thinks for a moment. "It can press the remote control, turn on the faucet, and talk." In fact, it can do far more than that. Li Pu suddenly realizes that Dabai seems to know a lot of things.

"Turn on the faucet?" The veterinarian, who is reading the diagnosis book, interrupts with a smile. "You dare to let it play with that? I have a customer who forgets to put his parrot in the cage and leaves it at home for a day. When he comes back at night, there is a flood in the house."

“It’s fine; he can turn it off too.” Li Pu raises his hand and lightly scratches Bai Gaoxing a couple of times, earning a gentle nibble in return.

"This guy raises this thing pretty well," Mr. Ren chimes in. "Look at how smooth its fur is and how good its eyes look."

"Well~ It’s pretty good," the veterinarian leans over to take a look, agreeing. 

 For the next while, Bai Gaoxing watches as the doctor conducts a series of tests on the starling. During this time, the bird is extremely uncooperative, squawking that he wants to remain pure for his dream lover and not to touch him with human dirty hands.

Oh, the scolding is really ugly. 

When the results come back, showing that there’s still no problem, the doctor genuinely has no choice. "There is really no physical issue," he says. "Then it is very likely psychological. I don’t know if it’s stress or something else."

"But the external behavior is very normal, and it doesn’t seem like stress," the doctor takes another look at the list.

"Okay, I should go too." After a while, Mr. Ren supports his knees and gets up. "I’m sorry to have bothered you these days. I’ll take him to other places to have a look."

“Take care.” The doctor helps Mr. Ren, thinks for a moment, and then takes out a stack of cards from his pocket. “Here’s my business card. When you get there, you can mention my name, and they’ll give you a twenty percent discount.” 

Under the puzzled gazes in the room, he smiles and explains, "They’re all my classmates and seniors in the major. We know each other." 

After that, he also hands one to Li Pu.

Bai Gaoxing can see it clearly from Li Pu's shoulder. The golden card has cartoonish designs of cats, dogs, birds, and fish, which suit the veterinarian’s identity perfectly. 

Name: Anxi.

Uh, the name doesn’t seem to fit for a hospital. 

But what a coincidence! This veterinarian's last name is also An. Bai Gaoxing remembers the "Dr. An" he sees in the pop-up window on Li Pu's mobile phone.

What should he do? The starling is about to leave, and if he doesn't say something now, there won't be a better opportunity. 

Bai Gaoxing feels a rush of inspiration and chirps, "Chirp, chirp." 

Several people in the room are stunned, especially Li Pu, who has never heard such a sound come from Bai Gaoxing’s mouth. 

Almost immediately, the starling also chirps and then curses in bird language, "Are you sick? Why are you imitating me!?"

Bai Gaoxing looks up at the sky innocently. Anyway, no one understands those words. He’s just "throwing a brick to attract jade."

(Translator’s Notes: throwing out a brick to attract jade is a Chinese idiom that means someone is offering something of lesser value (like a brick) to provoke a response or elicit something of greater value (like jade)

Bai Gaoxing chirps again, and the starling squawks.

Anxi touches his chin, looking inquisitive. "This kind of sound is usually made by starlings when courting... Mr. Ren, is your bird in heat?" He looks at Mr. Ren and asks this question.

"This... I... I don't know," Mr. Ren replies, looking bewildered and obviously unaware of such matters.

Anxi appears confident. "It's very likely. I didn't consider it before because its behavior is unusual, and it's summer now."

Mr. Ren starts to understand a bit. "Then what should we do?"

"This is simple," Anxi says. "You can either let it ride it out or get another female starling for it to mate with."

"Oh..." Mr. Ren ponders. "Where can I buy a female starling?"

As the group begins discussing which flower and bird market has the best quality birds, Bai Gaoxing discreetly informs the starling in bird language, “They’re discussing getting you a mate, but not the one you met—”

You definitely won’t agree to that, right?

To his surprise, the previously listless starling perked up, “Really!?”

That look is like a seed encountering the moisture of rain and dew, like a green leaf feeling the brilliance of the sun. ... You are not in pure love at all!

Bai Gaoxing is shocked as he watches the old man walk out with the birdcage. The starling exclaims happily, "Look, old man, now you have a bunch of brats to accompany you!" He glances back and raises his paw to Bai Gaoxing. "Thanks, brother."

Bai Gaoxing: "..."

Who wants to be your brother? I misjudged you.

After a few more customers bring their pets for check ups and injections, it’s finally their turn for a diagnosis.

"Mr. Li..." Anxi takes the personal information form filled out by Li Pu and asks tentatively, "Have you consulted on the ninth floor of the Central Hospital?"

I knew it!

I knew it! Bai Gaoxing wants to facepalm; someone recognizes Li Pu after all. But why wait until now to say it? How unlucky!

Li Pu looks at Anxi in surprise and nods. "Yes. What's wrong?"

Anxi's eyes curve with amusement. "My brother is a psychologist there, Anxin. You should know him." He pauses for a moment and then adds with a smile, "Don't get me wrong; I just happened to see your name when I visited him last time and want to confirm. I don't mean anything else. Besides, once we step outside, I won't know you anymore. I'm very good at keeping secrets."

Li Pu stares at Anxi for a moment before saying, "I know him."

Anxi nods, his tone relaxed and humorous. "It seems we are destined to meet. I can treat your pet."

He pulls out a small biscuit and hands it to Bai Gaoxing. "Here, bite it for fun."

Bai Gaoxing takes a bite, spits it out, and grimaces. It is too unpalatable.

Anxi laughs at his reaction and goes to check on the repairman. Fortunately, the repairs complete quickly, and soon after, the inspection report comes out.

"Hmm..." The young veterinarian touches his chin in thought, glancing at Li Pu before looking back at Bai Gaoxing. "Very healthy, no problems." He adds, "It’s fine to eat some vegetables and corn, but feed it fewer melon seeds and the like."

He hands the list to the assistant and goes to the back of the medical information desk to write the diagnosis record.

Li Pu wants to confirm the findings, so he asks the assistant about any issues, and Bai Gaoxing stretches his head to listen expectantly.

"It's okay, just eat a little too much," the assistant explains, circling a shaded area on the film with her finger. "Just some bloating." She glances back at Bai Gaoxing and affectionately touches his beak. "Little glutton."

Anxi calls from behind the desk, "It's time to lose weight! Don't feed it so much!"

Bai Gaoxing and Li Pu exchange glances.

After finishing the records, Anxi comes over again. "By the way, do you want to do a test for this wutong parrot? It looks nice; you’ll need the test in case you want to breed it later."

Seeing the young man with gentle eyes casually mention something so terrifying, Bai Gaoxing instinctively presses close to Li Pu, shaking his head like a rattle.

"It's so funny; it’s like he understands," Anxi says, reaching out to flick the bird's beak. "Quite the young one."

Li Pu nods. "It’s not yet an adult."

Anxi continues, "That's fine. Just keep a feather and do a genetic test later." As he says this, his hand reaches out again.

Bai Gaoxing rolls and crawls to Li Pu's shoulder, hiding behind his head. "No!"

"Hahahahahaha!!!" Anxi laughs and retracts his hand. "That’s hilarious! If it has a brood in the future, I’ll order one."

"Go away, they haven't agreed yet." The assistant shoos him aside and hands all the check-up documents and medical records to Li Pu. "Here are all the documents; please check them."

Li Pu takes them, and afterward, the assistant escorts him out of the hospital. 

She even gives Li Pu a custom badge from the pet hospital. "If Dabai has any more issues later, you can call Dr. An, or just come directly." She smiles. "Of course, I hope you don't have to come back."

Bai Gaoxing thinks: Me too.

…

Because waiting takes up a lot of time, it is almost noon when they leave the pet hospital. 

Bai Gaoxing looks outside through the transparent bag. His plan to avoid the bag fails, as he gets caught by three pairs of hands.

What’s more, Dr. An notices that Li Pu is inexperienced, and after learning that Bai Gaoxing is free-range at home, he teaches Li Pu how to hold him down quickly and forcefully. 

After finally getting out once, Bai Gaoxing can’t fly freely again.

He sighs sadly and doesn’t perch on the pole; instead, he lies down directly in the bag.

When Li Pu places the bag in the passenger seat, he sees a big white fluffy ball lying inside the bag on its back, eyes blank. 

The hand that rests on the steering wheel immediately lifts to reach for the bird bag, unzipping it.

I hope there's enough oxygen, Li Pu thinks, frowning slightly, his eyes showing a hint of worry.

Fortunately, when he opens the bag, Bai Gaoxing immediately flaps his wings and steps out, as if he will never go back inside again.

"Dabai, don’t move," Li Pu says, watching him stand there obediently. He checks the chain on Bai Gaoxing's feet before looking straight ahead, preparing to drive.

"Not going home!" the white parrot suddenly squawks.

"Huh?" Li Pu replies without looking away. "We’re going home first; be good."

The car has already started moving, and Bai Gaoxing doesn’t dare to jump on the steering wheel and cause trouble. Instead, he cries out, "Go out and play!"

"Next time," Li Pu says, glancing at the bustling street outside. Since it is Sunday, there are too many people around, making it inconvenient to stop.

Bai Gaoxing rolls around in the passenger seat, causing the bird bag to thump. "Not going home! Go out and play!"

Being a bird is great, Bai Gaoxing thinks while rolling around. Using his parrot body, he finds it easy to do shameful things he hasn’t done since he is three years old—so embarrassing.

After some time, Bai Gaoxing realizes his antics are futile. He gets up, tidies his messy feathers, and peers out the window from the height of the bird bag.

Li Pu drives steadily, not too fast, and the scenery outside reflects in Bai Gaoxing's eyes like a painting—pedestrians, trees, tall buildings, and shops flash by. As they turn a corner and enter a wide boulevard, Bai Gaoxing's desire to go out for a walk intensifies.

A park!

He presses his eyes against the car window. It isn’t just any park; it is a pet park.

Even from a distance, he can see many owners running and playing with their dogs on the vast lawn. On the other side, where trees are planted, several birdcages hang, with people interacting with the birds.

I really want to go!

Bai Gaoxing becomes restless, spreading his wings and raising his claws. Unfortunately, there is no foothold on the car door, so he keeps slipping and finally slides down along the door.

The noise catches Li Pu's attention, and he glances over, noticing the park nearby.

"...We can only look for a while."

Two minutes later, Li Pu's car stops next to the park.

Bai Gaoxing's eyes sparkle with anticipation, as if he wants to take in all the scenery at once.

Li Pu also observes the people who have brought their birds outside. Aside from those that can only be kept in cages, most of the birds released outside are parrots.

He notices that the medium and large parrots all wear something like a vest, with a rope extending from it, the other end tied around their owners' hands.

It seems to be called a flying leash... Li Pu recalls seeing this while choosing items on a shopping app at first, but he thinks the foot chain and the leash serve similar purposes, so he only buys one of them.

Now it seems that he should have prepared a flying leash too.

Li Pu watches the rope passing under the wings of the parrots and feels certain it is indeed safer than tying a thin iron chain to their feet.

At that moment, Bai Gaoxing, who is leaning against the car window and looking out, feels an overwhelming urge to fly down and join them.

In his ears, he hears the chatter of each bird. Although it is a little noisy—no, extremely noisy—it is also a refreshing experience.

At least they are of the same kind, so they can chat! It is nice to get together and gossip or talk about family matters.

"Let's go out and play!" Bai Gaoxing pleads, making a pitiful expression in hopes that Li Pu will change his mind.

Li Pu's outfit is perfectly fine; no one would notice him if he keeps a low profile. As for Bai Gaoxing, he spots two other wutong parrots among the crowd. They seem light-colored, which would allow him to blend in perfectly.

Thinking about this, Bai Gaoxing feels reassured, but unfortunately, the dark tint of the car windows obscures any color differences.

However, Li Pu ruthlessly refuses and even starts the car.

Bai Gaoxing can only watch as the park grows farther away until it completely disappears from view.

One day, Bai Gaoxing vows, I will come back to play as much as he wants!

After leaving the park, Li Pu takes him to the mall to buy groceries. Since it isn’t convenient to bring pets inside, Bai Gaoxing has to stay in the car and wait for Li Pu to return. It isn’t hot that day, and there is a crack in the window, so it isn’t too uncomfortable.

Ten minutes later, Li Pu returns to the car with the groceries.

Bai Gaoxing sighs as he witnesses what it means to shop efficiently in the mall. He hops to the back seat to check out the items. It isn’t much different from usual, except there are many more leafy greens.

And... why are there so many broccoli?

...

The trip back home is smooth, and it is already three-quarters past noon when they arrive.

Bai Gaoxing climbs into the bird bag, making it easier for Li Pu to carry him as they take the elevator to the seventh floor. As soon as the elevator door opens, he notices some items have appeared at the originally empty front door.

Two cardboard boxes, which look to be of good quality, seem to contain important items.

Li Pu obviously notices them too, walking over to pick one up from the carpet.

From the angle inside the bag, Bai Gaoxing can clearly see the text printed on the box: Family Version Mini Camcorder.

Li Pu bought it?

Impossible...

Bai Gaoxing looks up through the transparent shell and notices a trace of confusion on Li Pu's face as well.

However, the man doesn’t pause for too long; soon, he brings the bird bag, vegetables, and those two boxes inside.

Bai Gaoxing feels a sudden "thump" as he is placed on the ground.

Meanwhile, Li Pu takes out his phone and, as expected, sees three missed calls, each spaced half an hour apart.

He sighs silently, just as he is about to call back when a call notification pops up on the screen.

The phone rings at that moment.

"Brother Li," Mei Youshu's voice comes through, sounding like he is on the verge of tears, "Where have you been? Why are you back so late?"

"I went out for a while," Li Pu replies briefly. "What’s the matter?"

"Oh, that’s it." The voice on the other end clears its throat. "Sister Li said you are going to be on 'Cute Pet Diary,' and the program requires you to provide some daily materials. Did you see the two boxes at the door? That’s a new set of video equipment, better than what you have at home. Tomorrow... you’ll be home, right? I’ll install it for you."

Author’s note:

Veterinarian: Face the reality ^_^

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