"Mujin! Mujin!"

In her sleep, Mujin heard the call and slowly opened her eyes.

Blinking at the scene before her, she could hardly believe it.

She was sitting in a restaurant, surrounded by a table full of fragrant dishes.

"What...?" Mujin looked down. Seeing her hands and legs, she froze.

"I’m back to normal?!"

"What are you talking about? You just fell asleep out of nowhere," a man at the table said gently, calling her name again.

So that was it. Becoming a sparrow had only been a dream?

Like Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream, but with Mujin and a sparrow?

Thank goodness she’d woken from that nightmare. She didn’t even dare imagine what might’ve happened next.

"Daydreaming again? The food’s all here. Eat up."

"Okay!" Mujin didn’t question it. She didn’t even glance at the man’s face—just dove straight into the feast, devouring everything like a crescent moon sweeping across the sky.

She hadn’t tasted anything this delicious in ages. It was so good, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" The man reached out, wiping her eyes.

"It’s nothing. I just had a dream... Huh?" Mujin looked up. Her voice died the moment she saw his face.

His features were a blur of shadows.

Strange. He was right in front of her, yet she couldn’t make out his face at all.

And who was she even eating with?

A chill ran down Mujin’s spine. Then, something even stranger happened.

Outside the window, a chorus of *chirps* erupted. In an instant, countless birds flooded in, snatching at her food.

"Hey! That’s mine! Stop stealing!"

Mujin shouted, but they ignored her. Screeching harshly, they ravaged her meal.

The scene blurred. When her vision cleared, she was back in that dark, gloomy room.

Birds chattered endlessly around her, finally jolting her awake.

She blinked slowly. After a long daze, her mind snapped.

*That* had been the dream!

She’d thought she’d escaped a nightmare into reality—but reality was the true nightmare.

Thanks to these birds, even her rare sweet dream had ended badly.

They wouldn’t even let her dream in peace. This was reality.

"*Chirp-chirp-chirp!*" Mujin shrieked back at them.

*You stupid birds! Don’t you know it’s time to sleep?!*

*Even if you don’t rest, others need to!*

She tried reasoning in bird language—useless, of course. She knew it. She was just venting.

Once awake, the birds’ chatter never stopped. Sleep was impossible. And that cursed hunger returned.

The pitch-black room hid not just her surroundings, but her future too—shrouded in fog.

She felt a deep sadness.

Maybe knowing too much *wasn’t* a blessing for a bird.

···Next Day···

The shutter door clattered open, spilling the first sunlight into the dark room.

Brother Zhang walked in, followed by another man.

"Boss Luo, this is the one."

"You’re sure it can talk?"

"Absolutely. We’ve done business many times—I’m trustworthy. Though it just learned to speak. You’ll need to train it more back home."

"No problem. I’ve got time." Boss Luo smiled at Mujin, pointing. "I’ll take it. Pack it up."

Mujin studied him. Suit, leather shoes, an expensive-looking watch on his wrist.

A rich man. If he was buying her, she’d probably survive.

"Got it, Boss! Generous as always. Oh—should we clip its wings?"

"Will it ruin its looks? It’s quite cute."

"Nope. Just trim the first few flight feathers. It won’t fly anymore, but no other changes."

"Fine. Flying *is* hard to control."

Mujin shuddered.

Clip her wings?!

Make her a flightless chicken, grounded forever?

No!

Even if she escaped later, a bird that couldn’t fly was like a human without legs.

Brother Zhang opened the cage. A giant hand reached in.

Mujin scrambled to dodge, but the cramped space offered no escape. He grabbed her and lifted her out.

*Help!*

She screamed inside—but not a sound escaped her beak.

This "giant" pinned her wings, smiling casually while about to do something cruel.

Her heart hammered. She flapped wildly—uselessly.

Soon, she’d be a sparrow that could never fly again...

Only after becoming one did she realize how terrifying humans were. Not just cruel—*twisted*.

The man forced her wing open. Silver scissors inched toward her flight feathers.

Watching his fingers tighten on the blades, Mujin closed her eyes.

No use. No one would save her here.

Alone and hopeless, she stopped resisting.

"*Aaah!*"

A scream tore through the air. Metal clattered to the floor.

The grip vanished. Mujin plummeted.

She opened her eyes, flapping instinctively. Her injured wing still carried her into a shaky glide—landing safely.

Once steady, she stared at Brother Zhang. He clutched his hand, face twisted in pain.

*What happened to his hand? Divine punishment?*

Before she could wonder, Zhang roared, "Who the hell are you?!"

*Who?*

Mujin followed his glare—and froze. Her whole body went numb.

At the shutter door stood a boy, stone in hand, expression blank.

*Xiao Yang?!*

It was Zhou Ruiyang.

"Made it just in time," Zhou sighed. He walked in, scooped Mujin up, and faced the men. "Sorry. This sparrow’s mine. It got lost and ended up here."

"*Yours*?" Boss Luo frowned, hands in pockets, turning to Zhang. "What’s this about, Lao Zhang?"

Zhang grimaced. He almost believed Zhou—talking sparrows *were* rare, and "trained" sounded plausible.

But he’d paid five thousand yuan for this treasure. He couldn’t admit it.

He stepped forward, aggressive. "Bullshit! Where’d you crawl from? Hitting me *and* stealing my goods? You asking to—"

"*Ow! Ow!* Easy, easy!"

He’d meant to grab the kid’s collar—but Zhou twisted his wrist first, pinning him.

"Not bullshit. I’ve got proof. Watch." Zhou held Mujin up. "Be good. Call Daddy."

*Xiao Yang! You’re taking advantage!*

Mujin glared. Then she chirped, "*Call Daddy!*"

"Uh... no. *I’m* Daddy."

"*Call Daddy!*"

"You call me..." Zhou paused. "*Daddy.*"

"*Yes!*"

"Hah!" Boss Luo burst out laughing. "Looks like it really is yours. Rehearsed that line, huh? Skilled *and* funny."

"Yeah... hah." Zhou forced a smile.

"But I’ve never seen a talking sparrow. Probably the only one on Earth. I’m interested. Name your price." Boss Luo stood relaxed, hands still in pockets.

"Sorry, sir. We’re close. She’s not for sale—"

"One million." Boss Luo held up one finger.

"One million isn’t... *how much?*" Zhou’s eyes widened.

Mujin in his hands went rigid too.

*Since when am I worth a house?!*

"One million. If it’s not enough, I’ll add more."

"No... it’s plenty." Zhou licked his lips.

Boss Luo smiled calmly.

This kid’s clothes screamed "ordinary family." One million was astronomical to him.

This deal was already sealed.

And the money meant nothing—he was a businessman. This talking sparrow was pure profit. Handle it right, and it could earn tens of millions.

He felt certain.

But Mujin wasn’t worried.

Zhou knew her secret. He was her sworn brother. Even a million wouldn’t make him—

"Good. Deal."

The words hit Mujin like ice.

*WHAT?!*