"What are you pretending to be clueless for? They were spraying water! Do you really think you can keep hiding it?!" Hao Ren fumed with righteous indignation.

Only then did Zhou Ruiyang realize Hao Ren had completely misunderstood.

He thought his secret was exposed—but Hao Ren believed he’d been live-streaming something explicit with a girl in the bathroom, hence the "spraying water."

Luckily, Hao Ren had just arrived and only caught the tail end of the conversation. Had he heard everything from the start, his entire worldview might have shattered.

After all, a roommate turning into a sparrow was acceptable to Zhou Ruiyang—but to others, it’d sound like the opening scene of a horror story.

Mujin, hidden inside the towel, let out a quiet sigh of relief. Her identity had been preserved, by sheer luck.

But…

Had her conversation with Little Yang really been *that* explicit?

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

For these three days, Mujin never appeared before Zhou Ruiyang in her human form.

She’d only sneak into the bathroom at noon when Zhou Ruiyang and the others were out for lunch, transforming in secret while burning through her cooldown timer.

*All because he called me unattractive*, she grumbled inwardly. *Otherwise, I might’ve kept playing his girlfriend a few more times—just to boost his ego.*

A girlfriend within reach—*poof*—gone.

It was Saturday. Dorm 302 always oozed lazy vibes on weekends. Even the disciplined Meng Xianyong allowed himself one blissful lie-in.

Hao Ren woke first, jolted awake by a full bladder.

After using the toilet, he spotted a shadow outside the window and pulled back his bed curtain.

"Ruiyang! That eagle’s back!"

Outside the window, a Eurasian sparrowhawk with black-and-white striped feathers perched on the clothesline, staring intently inside.

"Again?" Zhou Ruiyang sat up, opened the window, and rubbed his temples. "Seriously? You’re an eagle—aren’t you ashamed to beg for food every single day?"

This very sparrowhawk had once hunted Mujin. How it found Zhou Ruiyang’s dorm remained a mystery, but for three days straight, it had returned, demanding to be fed.

"I’m out of meat. Want some bread instead?" Zhou Ruiyang tore off a piece from the loaf on his desk and offered it.

The hawk snatched it, then spread its wings and vanished.

"Tsk. This little guy’s gotten used to my treats. Guess I’ll need to buy some meat snacks for the dorm…" He called out, "Chirp? Chirp-chirp?"

He was summoning Mujin. With roommates around, he couldn’t say her name outright—so he called her like a pet.

Only after several calls did Mujin poke her head out from under Zhou Ruiyang’s blanket.

She wasn’t sleepy. She was hiding—from that hawk. Her natural predator. Just seeing it sent a trace of panic through her, like a mouse spotting a cat.

"Come on. Let’s go buy some food. Your birdseed’s almost gone too."

Mujin shoved her head back under the covers. Her message was clear: *I’m lazy. Go alone.*

Zhou Ruiyang ignored her. He plucked her from the blanket, stuffed her into his pocket, and headed out.

*Zhou Ruiyang! This violates my personal freedom!*

Mujin seethed at being handled like a pet. But in the dorm, she dared not speak. She could only squirm in protest inside his pocket—earning a few firm pats.

"Stop fussing. I’m buying *your* food. It’s only fair you come along."

His logic was unassailable. Mujin had no rebuttal.

Once on a quiet stretch of street, Mujin finally peeked out. "Little Yang, when can we move out of the dorm? I can’t even talk when they’re around."

"Campus rules are strict. Just tell them your secret—it’ll be fine."

"You think everyone’s as gullible as you?"

"Why wouldn’t they believe it? First, you can talk. Second, you reveal secrets only they know. Any sane person would believe that."

Mujin shook her head. "No way. The fewer who know, the better."

Zhou Ruiyang walked out of campus onto the bustling weekend streets. Crowds surged, laughter and chatter filling the air.

Mujin lounged comfortably in his pocket, pulling up the System’s task menu. She tapped to accept the next mission.

She’d planned to skip tasks today. After grinding nonstop for three days, she’d already hit 35.6% progress. She’d wanted to treat herself—but since Zhou Ruiyang dragged her out, she might as well multitask.

**[Host has accepted task: ‘Track and Counter-Track.’ Unknown individuals are currently tailing you. Evade them, uncover their identities. Success: 0.5% progress, 20 points. Failure: Captured.]**

Mujin jolted. She burst from the pocket, landing on Zhou Ruiyang’s shoulder. "Little Yang! We’re being followed!"

"I know."

"What do we do? Should I fly up and scout?"

"No. They’re likely after *you*. Stay close—it’s safer."

"But how will you ID them?"

Mujin glanced back. The street teemed with people. Spotting suspicious figures was impossible.

"I have a way." A faint smirk played on Zhou Ruiyang’s lips. He tucked Mujin back into his pocket and entered a sundry store.

The shop’s entrance was oddly designed—wide open, yet split by multiple doorframes like a subway security checkpoint.

Zhou Ruiyang entered through the rightmost door, wandered the aisles, then exited through the far-left door.

Like subway gates, the outer doors saw little traffic. Any pursuer following him through the *same* door would instantly expose themselves. They’d have to choose another exit.

But the store was crowded. As Zhou Ruiyang stepped out, several shoppers simultaneously emerged from other doors.

He feigned forgetfulness, ducked back inside, then swiftly reappeared.

This time, two men in plainclothes gave themselves away.

*Now!*

While they were still weaving through the doors, Zhou Ruiyang melted into the crowd.

By the time the men scrambled outside, he’d vanished.

"Amazing, Little Yang!" Mujin popped her head out, impressed. "Where’d you learn that? You had them completely disoriented."

Zhou Ruiyang didn’t seem ordinary. Beyond his combat skills and uncanny alertness—almost as if synced with the System—he possessed sharp counter-surveillance instincts.

"My uncle’s a martial artist. He taught me this stuff since I was little."

"Strange… Why’d you never show it before?"

Mujin realized these traits only surfaced *after* she became a sparrow. For three years prior, Zhou Ruiyang had been just a healthy, unassuming otaku in her eyes.

She’d even teased him—calling him "son," spamming summoner spells on him. He never got angry, let alone fought back.

*Good thing he’s so easygoing. With his skills and a short temper? He’d have smashed my head in.*

"Never had the chance."

"Hah. Fair point."

Zhou Ruiyang glanced back. The two men hadn’t reappeared. He relaxed slightly.

Then—he collided with a towering man coming the opposite way.

He tried to dodge, but the man clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"Whoa there, kid!"

Before Zhou Ruiyang could react, another hand seized his other shoulder. He was pinned.

*Another group tailing me?!*

Instinct took over. Zhou Ruiyang ducked low, slipping free. No hesitation—he bolted.

He’d felt their strength. They weren’t amateurs. And with Mujin in his pocket, a stray blow could be fatal.

*A punch to my face is humiliation. A punch to Mujin is death.*

"Stop! Don’t run!"

The shout drew stares. A teenager sprinted down the street, two burly men in hot pursuit.

Zhou Ruiyang ran fast and straight, relying on pedestrians to clear his path. Seeing his panic, most scattered early to avoid trouble.

The two men from the store finally emerged. Spotting Zhou Ruiyang doubling back, they joined the chase.

*Damn! Trapped from both sides!*

No time to think. Zhou Ruiyang veered sharply into a side alley.

The four men froze, then burst into laughter.

*What’s so funny?*

Zhou Ruiyang sprinted deeper—then understood.

The alley was a dead end. Three walls of sheer concrete loomed, impossible to scale.

"Realized too late, huh?"

Zhou Ruiyang turned. A medium-built man in black blocked the exit—beard, sunglasses, and an aura of command. His four lackeys sealed the escape route.

"Enough struggling. You’re cornered. Come quietly, or we won’t be gentle." The leader issued his ultimatum.

Zhou Ruiyang scanned the walls. Then, slowly, his lips curved upward.

"Cornered? I don’t think so."

"Kid, stubbornness has its place, but—" The leader’s eyes widened mid-sentence.

Zhou Ruiyang yanked Mujin from his chest pocket. He drew back his arm like a pitcher winding up.

"He’s freeing the sparrow! Stop him!" the leader roared.

All four lunged forward.

"Go, Pikamujin!"

"No!!"