Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Shen Qingyi bought the small cakes Shan Ling loved downstairs and also picked up a takeout order, bringing both into the house as she returned.

She had left empty-handed, but came back with enough to fill eight hands.

Shan Ling heard a noise at the door and quickly hopped over. She balanced on one foot and took the small cake handed to her by Shen Qingyi, her eyes sparkling.

“It smells so good,” Shan Ling peeked inside and saw the chocolate-flavored triangular cake in her hand.

Seeing the other flavors of cake in Shen Qingyi’s hand, Shan Ling felt completely satisfied. She sat on the shoe-changing bench nearby, looking up at her: “Did you order takeout today too?”

Shen Qingyi nodded: “I ordered a few dishes you like.”

Shan Ling was very happy, but then said dejectedly, “It’s been so long since I cooked myself. I feel like I’m eating takeout all the time.”

Shen Qingyi paused, looked down at Shan Ling, reached out and rubbed her head, saying, “Then, should I try learning to cook these next few days?”

“No need, I was just saying,” Shan Ling remembered the potatoes and vegetables Shen Qingyi had wasted before and still thought takeout was better, at least it wouldn’t waste food.

Helping Shan Ling sit down on the dining chair, Shen Qingyi opened all the small cakes for her.

“Choose one. I’ll put the other two in the fridge,” Shen Qingyi said gently to her. “You shouldn’t eat too many sweets.”

Shan Ling thought for a moment, leaving the chocolate cake, planning to eat the remaining two today or tomorrow.

The two ate dinner together. Shen Qingyi was clearing the table, planning to tidy up the trash and take it downstairs, when she saw Shan Ling happily eating her small cake.

“Xiaoling,” Shen Qingyi walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands, and sat beside her, asking, “Are we still sleeping together tonight?”

Shan Ling looked at her curiously, blinking: “Why wouldn’t we?”

Shen Qingyi’s heart pounded quickly. She had been thinking that since the two had decided to date, shouldn’t they maintain some distance?

Although many young couples live together, this was their first day of dating, and Shen Qingyi was afraid of having impure thoughts.

“Your foot injury isn’t healed yet. I think I shouldn’t crowd you in the same bed tonight,” Shen Qingyi glanced at the living room sofa and said, “I can sleep on the sofa just fine.”

Shan Ling was very confused. She bit her small spoon and wondered, “But this is your home. Why would you sleep on the sofa?”

Shen Qingyi’s ears flushed slightly. She said awkwardly, “Sleeping separately allows for a more restful sleep.”

As she said this, Shen Qingyi’s heart was still beating fast. This was her first time dating, and she thought couples were generally like this.

However, these words took on a different meaning in Shan Ling’s ears. She thought Shen Qingyi was implying that she was restless in her sleep.

She remembered the doctor warning Shan Ling in the hospital not to turn over in her sleep and to be careful of her unhealed wound. So, during that time, Shan Ling had forced herself to sleep stiffly, which was very uncomfortable.

But now that she was out of the hospital, couldn’t she sleep freely?

Shan Ling frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, “Does dating mean I can’t sleep with you anymore?”

Shen Qingyi: “…”

She looked at Shan Ling and saw that the other person seemed quite troubled.

Yes, it was so easy when we were just friends, and Shen Qingyi was happy when she was with Shan Ling. Why is she so timid now that they are dating?

Shen Qingyi thought seriously and decided to follow her heart.

She wanted to be closer to Shan Ling; she didn’t even want to sleep apart from her.

And she believed Shan Ling felt the same way, so Shen Qingyi didn’t overthink it for too long. She braced herself and asked, “Then… if you don’t mind, we’ll continue as before.”

“Great!” That was exactly what Shan Ling wanted. Hearing this, she happily cut a small piece of cake and fed it into Shen Qingyi’s mouth, smiling widely, “If I’m restless at night, you must keep a close eye on me.”

Shen Qingyi’s eyes flickered, and she nodded slowly.

That night, Shan Ling went to sleep early. She truly lacked energy today. Since her injury, she was always prone to drowsiness. Shan Ling felt that by the time her leg was completely better and she weighed herself, she would have gained at least ten pounds.

Looking at Shan Ling, who was sleeping sweetly, Shen Qingyi, leaning against the headboard, couldn’t fall asleep.

Only the bedside lamp was faintly lit in the dim room. Under the soft, yellow light, Shen Qingyi focused her gaze on Shan Ling’s face.

The quilt wasn’t properly covered. Shan Ling’s foot was exposed on the side, while most of her body was hidden under the quilt. She probably felt a little cold on her foot and wanted to retract it.

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment, then took a piece of clothing from the wardrobe and covered Shan Ling’s injured foot.

“Mmm…”

Hearing Shan Ling whimpering, Shen Qingyi looked down at her and saw that she wasn’t awake, just making noises.

Looking at the little mountain sparrow so close, Shen Qingyi lowered her gaze and gently kissed her on the cheek.

That night, Shen Qingyi suffered from insomnia and didn’t fall asleep until the latter half of the night.

Since she didn’t need to go to work, Shen Qingyi slept until past 10 AM.

The sky outside was overcast, and it seemed to be raining. She could hear the rustling of the rain and the tap-tap sound of water droplets hitting the windowpane.

She was alone in the dim room, which made Shen Qingyi momentarily confused about the time when she woke up.

Getting out of the warm covers, Shen Qingyi opened the door and heard some noise in the house.

“Chirp chirp chirp—”

“Chirp chirp chirp~”

“Chirp~”

The continuous chirping of little birds made Shen Qingyi feel strange. She walked to the living room in confusion and saw a flock of little birds gathered on the balcony.

Some of the birds were big, some were small. Some stayed outside, and some entered the balcony area, but they all behaved and didn’t step into the living room, confining their play to the balcony section.

The little birds noticed Shen Qingyi’s gaze, and a row of small heads all turned toward her.

Shen Qingyi looked at the synchronized gaze and felt a headache coming on. She quickly spotted a white figure in the flock of birds.

Shan Ling also noticed Shen Qingyi. She flew down from the flowerpot, landed on Shen Qingyi’s shoulder with one foot, and affectionately rubbed against her.

“Yiyi, good morning! Although it’s already late, I still have to say good morning~”

The small fluffball was ‘chirping,’ sounding like she had a lot to say to Shen Qingyi.

Looking at the birds all over her balcony, Shen Qingyi covered her forehead helplessly and said, “What’s going on?”

“It’s raining outside,” Shan Ling stood on Shen Qingyi’s shoulder like a student who had made a mistake and said, “They finished eating, and since the rain was so heavy, they kindly stayed to chat with me for a while.”

Shen Qingyi looked at the little mountain sparrow on her shoulder and asked, “Why did you turn into a bird again? Didn’t I say not to change back randomly?”

Shan Ling chirped twice and explained, “My leg is inconvenient. If I stay in human form, it’s difficult to go anywhere, but turning into a bird is different. I can go wherever I want, and I don’t need anyone’s help.”

“But you are so small like this. What if you get stuck somewhere? I won’t know how to get you out.”

“No, no, I won’t. I’m not stupid. How could I go into every nook and cranny?”

Shen Qingyi held out a finger. Shan Ling’s eyes lit up, and she fluttered her wings, landing on her finger, saying proudly, “Look, isn’t this very convenient?”

It was convenient, but it looked strange no matter how she saw it.

Shen Qingyi mused that she was dating a girlfriend, not keeping a pet. Although she had accepted the reality that Shan Ling was a little bird, it still felt awkward.

“Fine.”

In the end, Shen Qingyi convinced herself. She told Shan Ling, “You can be a bird, but you can’t leave the house or fly outside, understood?”

“Understood, understood,” Shan Ling happily shook her feathers, her tone light. She turned back to the flock of birds on the balcony and said, “Can I chat with them this morning?”

Shen Qingyi nodded.

Shan Ling tilted her head and asked, “We also want to eat sunflower seeds—just the small ones in the basket. I bought them specifically to feed the birds.”

Shen Qingyi glanced at the small bags of sunflower seeds on the coffee table and nodded: “I’ll open them for you later.”

“And can we have a bowl of plain water?”

“…Fine.”

When Shen Qingyi prepared these things and walked to the balcony, she noticed that the brightly colored little birds didn’t run away. Their little bead-like eyes were fixed on her.

Shen Qingyi placed the things down and left. She felt that the little birds’ eyes were very strange.

But the thought “the little birds’ eyes are very strange” was itself strange, leaving Shen Qingyi puzzled.

After the human left, the little birds continued to chirp and discuss.

“Little Mountain Sparrow, is that your girlfriend?”

“You’re amazing! You managed to get a human girlfriend.”

Shan Ling tilted her small head and smiled: “It’s alright. Yiyi is very good to me, and I want to be with her forever.”

“But can a bird and a human stay together forever?”

“It should be possible. That human doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Shan Ling nodded: “Yiyi is very good. All this food was prepared by her. You can come and visit more often, but you can’t enter the house. Yiyi likes cleanliness and doesn’t like birds coming inside.”

The little birds immediately chirped and argued.

“Humans are so troublesome. We little birds aren’t so concerned about cleanliness.”

“Actually, some little birds are clean.”

“I am very clean! I think the human’s preference for cleanliness is good. Being clean helps you live longer.”

Shan Ling chatted with the little birds, and the balcony was lively all morning. When the rain eased a little at noon, they all said their goodbyes.

Looking back at the messy balcony, Shan Ling felt that the guests she invited should be cleaned up by her. She fluttered her wings, flew into the house, changed her clothes, and hopped out.

“Yiyi~”

Shan Ling saw Shen Qingyi’s back and immediately rushed forward, getting caught in a full embrace as Shen Qingyi turned around.

Shen Qingyi helped and carried her, looking at Shan Ling helplessly and said, “What, you’re willing to turn back into a human?”

“Why wouldn’t I be willing?” Shan Ling tilted her head and looked at her, smiling sweetly, “Only by being human can I hug you~”

Shen Qingyi bent down to hold her, then patted her little butt helplessly and angrily: “Stop messing around. Go put on some pants!”

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