Chapter 49 (Part 1) (1/2)

Chapter 49 (Part 1) Original and most updated translations are from volaretranslations.

The morning of a certain day.

I was lying in my room, limbs spread out before turning over to rub against the bamboo pillow, feeling pretty comfortable.

Suddenly, something pushed against the door from outside. The door caught on its bolt and refused to open. I gave a start as my ears rose to listen. From the s.p.a.ce between door and doorframe I could hear the sound of rustling clothing. That person stood quietly outside for a bit, seemingly fixing their belt, before a soft and tired voice called out, “Is the one inside awake?”

“Not awake,” I covered my head and replied.

He sounded like he was smiling. “The food’s been left by the door.” Afterwards he hesitated, as if speaking to himself. “Someone not awake can still reply so smoothly, now that’s strange.”

Are you complaining?

“About that…” he wanted to say, but stopped. There was only the sound of his footsteps by the door.

It was pestering me beyond endurance.

I knitted my brows, straightening up as I rubbed my eyes. “Hurry up if you’ve got something to say…” I didn’t hear the antic.i.p.ated reply, but a light cough, sudden and unexpected in the deserted courtyard. It seemed he’d already walked far away…

This person was so weird.

I struggled inwardly before dropping my shoulders to lift aside the bedcovers. My eyelashes drooped while my eyes opened, and I lowered my head to grope beneath the bed for my shoes. After putting them on, I opened the door and was. .h.i.t with a blast of air that made me s.h.i.+ver. My eyes were as sleepy as slits as I squatted dazedly by the door. I was too lazy to even look for my food, choosing instead to grope around until I my fingers felt a plate. Then I carried it into my room and placed it on the table.

I yawned and went back beneath the covers before falling asleep.

—

Afterwards, I felt something was off. My ears were pressed against the pillow, but there was a fine noise being carried my way. My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to figure it out. It sounded like someone happily pecking at grain. My head turned and I clutched my pillow to look…

As I waited for my blurry vision to clear, I saw a green parrot perched gingerly on the side of a bowl atop the wooden table, burying his head to a merry feast.

So delicious…

This lousy bird, how did it get into my room? Wait, let me think. When Fang Hua delivered breakfast this morning, I carried it inside as usual before sleeping. Could it be…

I rubbed my face with the covers, getting rid of crust from my eyes to sit up and stick my neck over. Huh…looks like I really did forget to close the door. Fang Hua was a good person but too hardworking. He was more timely than the wet nurses at the palace. Before daybreak, he’d finish preparing the food regardless of whether other people or animals were still sleeping. That should be amended.

I yawned again, giving a big lazy stretch. Then I draped my robes over myself and took a look. The food on the table was still warm…there were thick slices of red braised pork, slick with oil, and a small bowl of diced chicken with corn. A single parrot feather floated atop a large bowl of soup.

That little fellow stretched his wings with his back to me, blocking my view completely as he buried his head in the food.

Wait a second…

Was this bird food? It was obvious that it wasn’t. Then whose was it eating…acting so s.h.i.+fty-eyed like that.

Curses.

I tightened the belt around my waist, body swaying as I sat by the table to grab a pair of chopsticks. A single hand wave was enough to brush him onto the table. “Get lost, keep your distance.”

The parrot seemed stunned, then utterly discomfited.

I ignored him, lifting the bowl of red braised pork and stuffing it into my mouth…

It stretched out its wings, perching on the bowl of soup as it swooped at me, scattering feathers everywhere as it cried shrilly, “Hooligan.”

I sucked up the last traces of oil before shooting him a glance and saying simply, “I am.”

It seemed to be a sharp and clever animal who understood me, because it suddenly turned sullen. Those small mung-bean eyes gave a devious glance at the kernels of corn in the diced chicken bowl.

Oi, this was a new dish that I hadn’t tried before. I moved aside my sleeves and placed a hand on my waist, grinning as I lifted the dish towards me. The parrot grew indignant as it stuck a claw out to step on the edge of the bowl.

“You want to eat?”

It didn’t reply.

“This is…diced chicken!” I picked a piece up with my chopsticks, holding it in front of him. “Thousands of years ago, you two were the same kind, but you’re still so greedy. If you really want to eat it, it’s just a domestic animal. Take it and go far.”

It rose up, so angry that its feathers were standing on end. I silently ignored him and wiped my mouth with my robes, curses, to fall so low that I was fighting over food with livestock…thinking back, the palace had everything…tears…

For the sake of a single bowl, we glared at each other. I sighed with feeling as I finished, calmly continuing to finish up the table before me like an autumn wind sweeping everything before it. A head animal was still an animal, and no match for a human, much less a high-quality hooligan like me. Under its hostile gaze, I lifted my eyebrows, dizzy with my success. Before his face, I chomped loudly on the corn, then picked up pieces of chicken to chew. I didn’t spare the parrot a glance as I turned to scoop up some rice.

Suddenly, a piece of bird p.o.o.p went flying through the air to land in my bowl…now that was what you called eye-catching… I lifted my expressionless face to look at the chief culprit. It joyfully flapped its wings, looking delighted–no, looking very delighted.

I was smiling too, lifting my index finger to wave it back and forth. The smile disappeared as I swooped and caught it, intended to pluck its feathers out.

“Yifuyifuyifuyifu,” its sharp little mouth cried out in a hurry, as it used all its strength to resist. It hurt when I got pecked, and its glossy feathers thrashed wildly beneath my hands. Its body was extremely smooth and slippery, and a swoop of its feathers had it staggering into flight before it added under its breath, “Curses!”

It had perfectly mimicked my voice when it learned this word. I laughed aloud. The table had long turned into a mess, food and soup splattered on the ground. A dark shadow fell from skies and a pair of wings struck me behind my head, before the parrot flew towards the exit. I didn’t even have time to react before I hear a voice from outside the door.

“I’m telling I’m telling I’m telling…”

This little animal.

If he wanted to tattle to Fang Hua, see if I didn’t pluck out all his feathers. I pulled up my robes and broke into a chase. But there was already no sign of the person…ah, I mean the bird.

—

It was already late autumn.

Though the wind was extremely cool, it still felt warm when the sun shone on me. A bamboo pavilion had been erected over a pond, accented with white muslin veils. Vaguely, one could make could a figure dressed in a moon-white robe inside, neither real nor unreal. Astonished, I went to take a look.

He sat on the ground in a thin layer of robes, looking over a few pots as if s.p.a.cing out. There were many flowers by his side, their fragrance carried by the breath of the wind.

“You woke up?” he asked me.

“Un,” I replied vaguely, looking around me. I didn’t see anything, so I drew closer to crouch by his side. “What are you doing?”