"Come on, that one’s easy. You said she was ‘open,’ right? So her lifting her skirt would be reasonable, no?"

"Oh, so that’s how it is." Zhou Ruiyang nodded with a smile, then his face shifted. "You don’t think that’s forced?"

"Is it?"

"It is. More far-fetched than getting caught soliciting a prostitute and claiming you’re an undercover reporter."

"Yeah, kinda, heh..." Mujin shook her wings, a little embarrassed, brain spinning fast.

"Fine, I’ll drop the act. Cards on the table. I came back after lunch. I saw you walking with a girl. I tailed you two to see where it’d go, and then I saw that scene."

"That reason actually makes sense. But why didn’t you say so earlier?"

"If I say I’m tailing you, is it still a tail? That’d just be following."

"Fair point." Zhou Ruiyang nodded, then asked, "By the way, when I was feeding the sparrowhawk, you said that was your guts. Aren’t you not eating meat now?"

"I..." The little Sparrow broke into a cold sweat. "I just didn’t want you feeding it! That thing tried to kill me. And you feed it meat? Don’t you think that’s a betrayal?!"

Zhou Ruiyang narrowed his eyes. Something felt off.

"But—"

"Jeez, why so many questions? Get to class already. You’re over ten minutes late!"

"Not so fast. If I’m already late, rushing won’t change it. Might as well slow down and enjoy the scenery."

Butterflies in the distance flew side by side. A warm autumn breeze came head-on. Dandelion fluff brushed his face with a faint scent.

Zhou Ruiyang stretched, looking blissed out.

"Wow, you’re skipping class and waxing philosophical?!"

After Mujin’s barrage of nonsense, Zhou Ruiyang’s attention finally got pulled away.

Phew...

This guy’s observation is way too sharp. Better not show up around him in girl form again. I might slip up big-time.

Shouldn’t have used a girl’s body to help him in the first place.

When Mujin posed as Zhou Ruiyang’s girlfriend, she totally forgot she was supposed to stay hidden.

Her bro got mocked, and it ticked her off. All she could think about was slapping Jiang Kai’s face and making him fulfill that eat-crap flag.

Sigh. What can you say? She’s a Sparrow girl who pays back kindness.

...

When Zhou Ruiyang returned to class, every gaze locked on him at once.

"Yo, the love guru’s back?" After he sat down, Hao Ren whispered.

Zhou Ruiyang waved it off. "What love guru? I told you, I don’t even know her."

"Got it, got it. Just a fling. We get it."

Meng Xianyong said in awe, "Bro Yang, badass. How’d you get a beauty to chase you? Teach us, man!"

Zhou Ruiyang couldn’t defend himself. He hadn’t done anything with that girl, but people only trust what they saw. Any denial after became humblebragging to them.

Like arguing with a brick wall. No point.

Not just the guys were sneaking looks. Even the girls watched from the corners of their eyes.

They’d seen that brown-haired girl too—all charm and curves. Why would someone that stunning fall for a hardcore straight guy?

It made them curious. Did Zhou Ruiyang have some secret?

Maybe he was a rich heir hiding his identity?

When someone is suddenly seen with a more ‘high-tier’ person, bystanders start to suspect things.

Like a plain funeral where a group of men in black suits shows up, black umbrellas, dark shades. People assume the deceased was someone unknown to the public.

In short, since Mujin’s sudden appearance, people’s view of Zhou Ruiyang had quietly started to change.

...

Top-floor office, a certain group’s HQ.

An oval table. A few men in black sat around it.

"Mr. Luo, we’ve got all the info on that kid. Zhou Ruiyang, male, twenty-one. Junior at Jiujiang University. From Q City. His household register has only his page."

Mr. Luo paused, turning his prayer beads. "An orphan? How does an orphan have skills like that?"

His men had chased Zhou that day. They saw him with their own eyes: both hands cradling a Sparrow, bouncing off the alley walls, scaling up to a second-floor rooftop.

Mr. Luo had thought he was a master from some prestigious mountain sect. He didn’t expect an orphan.

With skills like that, how would he be an orphan?

"An orphan, but not exactly. He grew up with a disabled man. The guy was special forces, taught him some moves."

"So that’s it. Looks like there’s no big background. You lot, pick a time and invite him over. If he refuses, give him a reason he can’t refuse."

"Understood, Mr. Luo."

The men in black left. Mr. Luo rolled his beads, the corner of his mouth lifting.

I told you. What I set my eyes on doesn’t run.

...

That night, after Hao Ren and Meng Xianyong left the dorm, Mujin stood at the computer desk, visibly excited.

"Perfect, Little Lamb. Those two went to an internet café. I can finally talk freely. Quick, open my PC. I wanna watch Stone Ocean!"

"Got it." Zhou Ruiyang sat at Mujin’s desk, booted her computer, pulled up the anime, then piled her quilt on the chair.

Mujin was too small now. Without padding on the seat, even standing on the chair, she couldn’t see the screen.

Once everything was set, Mujin hopped onto the soft quilt, shamelessly enjoying Zhou Ruiyang’s service.

After all, she’d given him some ‘fanservice’ today. If he got an eyeful, him taking care of her a bit was only fair, right?

Of course, Mujin still felt a little guilty. She was just finding a reason for her own comfort.

Zhou Ruiyang returned to his own seat, ready to queue a game.

"Little Lamb, pause it first. I’m going to the bathroom."

Mujin said that and fluttered into the restroom. In a moment she flew out again. "All done, Little Lamb. Flush for me."

Normally, no matter how tame a bird is, it should be caged. Birds can’t help but go anywhere due to their biology.

Mujin didn’t have that problem. Her metabolism was human-like, and she went to the bathroom on her own. That’s why Meng Xianyong and Hao Ren didn’t mind her flying around the dorm.

Looking at Mujin, something clicked for Zhou.

"Mujin, you haven’t taken a bath in days, have you?"

"Eh?" Mujin froze. "Now that you mention it, it’s been a while. But in this state I can’t really bathe, right?"

She still thought in human terms—showers by hand. As for how a Sparrow bathes, she wasn’t sure. At most she’d shake off water at a park fountain.

"I’ll help you."

"Eh? No need." Mujin balked. She’d only ever let her mom bathe her when she was little.

And having Zhou bathe her...

Why does that sound weird?

"Why not? If you don’t wash, you’ll just get dirtier. Even a Sparrow should be squeaky clean."

She hopped on his bed and slept in his hands. Of course he wanted her to smell nice.

"Then... then just fill a basin. I’ll soak myself and—cheep!~"

Before she finished, Zhou scooped her up.

"No need to be polite. We’re not strangers."